Manalapan Man Charged In Deadly Diner Parking Lot Fight

MANALAPAN, NJ - A Manalapan resident was recently charged in connection to a fight in Lacey Township that left one man dead, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced Thursday.

Edward Chandler, 54, was charged on Thursday with aggravated manslaughter for his role in the deadly fight, which occurred outside a diner in Lacey Township.

On Sept. 30 at approximately 7:30 p.m., officers from the Lacey Township Police Department received a 9-1-1 call reporting an unresponsive male outside the Lakeside Diner on Lacey Road. Whiting resident Robert Clarke, 78, was found unconscious and bleeding at the scene, according to prosecutors. Clarke was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center where he was pronounced dead around 1:30 a.m.

Investigators later found that an argument had taken place inside the diner between members of a motorcycle club. The owner of the diner, Brian Brindisi, asked the individuals involved in the argument to leave the location, and a second argument in the parking lot of the diner ensued.

Prosecutors say the Manalapan resident struck Clarke with a closed fist, resulting in “severe head trauma” for the 78-year-old.

Chandler was taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail where he is currently awaiting a detention hearing.

“This is an active and ongoing investigation. We are continuing to interview potential witnesses, and are awaiting the results of Mr. Clarke’s post-mortem examination by the Ocean County Medical Examiner. I fully expect that additional charges will be forthcoming,” Prosecutor Billhimer said.

Billhimer did not release details on the nature of the argument.

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Major Crime Unit, Lacey Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit are investigating.

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