Crime & Safety
Mahwah Couple Charged With Murdering Their 4-Month-Old Son
William Herring, 42, and Brianna Brochhausen, 22, were both charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, police said.
MAHWAH, NJ — A couple from Mahwah was arrested Monday on charges they murdered their 4-month-old son by suffocating him on a motel bed in February, authorities announced.
William Herring, 42, and Brianna Brochhausen, 22, were charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, the New Jersey State Police and Burlington County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday.
According to authorities, Springfield Township Police responded to a motel on Route 68 and found 4-month-old Hunter Brochhausen lying on the bed, unresponsive. The baby was taken to Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, where he remained until he was removed from life support on March 3.
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State Police detectives determined that Herring and Brochhausen were frustrated because their son would not stop crying so they placed him in a "time out," authorities said.
They put the baby on the bed on his stomach and pulled a blanket over his head and body, authorities said. The parents then went outside to smoke cigarettes and came back 10 minutes later to find their son not breathing and unresponsive, authorities said.
Find out what's happening in Mahwahfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Herring and Brochhausen were arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child on March 9. They were lodged in the Burlington County Jail and released on a detention hearing, officials said.
After a five-month-long investigation, additional charges were filed against Herring and Brochhausen. State Police detectives and Mahwah Police officers found Herring and Brochhausen at their borough home and arrested them, authorities said.
"The responsibilities of becoming a new parent can sometimes we overwhelming," said Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina. "Those who find themselves at a point of crisis when caring for a newborn child should know they have help available, and they must seek that help rather than taking actions that might harm their child."
Email daniel.hubbard@patch.com
Photos: William Herring, 42, and Brianna Brochhausen, 22 (State Police, background image via Shutterstock)
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