Nearly $60,000 Raised in Honor of Sayreville Detective Matthew Kurtz

Sayreville, NJ - $59,491. That's how much friends, family and complete strangers from across the United States have donated so far to the family of Sayreville police Detective Matthew Kurtz, whose tragic death Monday has been deemed a suicide.

Kurtz, only 34, was found outside the Amboy Cinemas building off the Garden State Parkway early Monday morning. He will be laid to rest Thursday.

Brick resident Dennis Wolfe, Kurtz' best friend for over 25 years, set up the GoFundMe page. All the money raised will go to Kurtz's widow, Jamie Kurtz, and the couple's children, he said.

"We thought maybe we could raise 5, 6 or even $7,000 — maybe enough to cover funeral expenses or something along those lines, but we raised $10,000 in less than two hours," he told the Asbury Park Press. "It just blew up and it's still growing. It's amazing. I didn't think it would be as big as it is."

Kurtz's suicide "sheds light on an insidious predator"

Sayreville Police Chief John J. Zebrowski said Kurtz's untimely death "sheds more light on an insidious predator that has taken his life and so many others in law enforcement as well."

"Sadly, suicide remains a leading cause of police officer deaths," he wrote on the department's Facebook page. "Thus, the method by which he lost his life does not make our loss any less tragic. In fact, it leaves only a greater void as many questions will remain unanswered."

Kurtz, a nine-year veteran of the Sayreville police force, was known as a heroic officer who risked his own life to help others in need. In December of 2014, he helped rescue an 83-year-old man from a house fire. Kurtz and another officer entered through the rear door of the burning Main Street structure to pull Sayreville resident Max Klitzke to safety, according to the report.

Last year, Kurtz, Sayreville Police Sgt. Kevin Connors and officer Douglas Gumprecht were presented with valor awards from the 200 Club of Middlesex County at the organization's annual banquet at the Pines Manor on Rt. 27 in Edison.

Kurtz was married to the former Jamie Mackiel of South Amboy and was a graduate of St. Mary's Regional High School in South Amboy. Prior to that, he attended Our Lady of Victories School, where he played on the basketball team.

"While at OLV, he was a member of the school basketball team and it was apparent to all who watched him play that he loved the game," OLV Principal Rosalind M. Esemplare told MyCentralJersey.com. "One of my fondest memories of Matt is his big smile, as he warmly greeted everyone he met. During Matt’s summer breaks from college, he did maintenance work around the school with great pride. He was a diligent and enthusiastic worker and I recall he would say to me, 'Whatever you need Mrs. E.' And he meant it."

"Incidents like these cause us to consider that, while we have equipped and trained our officers well for the external forces that remain a daily threat, more remains to be done to reduce those internal factors that are equally threatening," Sayreville Police Chief Zebrowski said.