NJ Detective Dies Of 'Extremely Rare' Cancer, Officials Say

EVESHAM, NJ — A South Jersey police detective died on Monday night after his second battle with cancer, the Evesham Township Police Department said.

Detective Jared Halpern was surrounded by his family as his fight with an "extremely rare" germ cell diagnoses came to an end.

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"While so many came to know Jared for his incredible strength, resilience, and determination throughout his fight, those who had the privilege of serving alongside him knew that his greatest legacy extends far beyond his illness," Evesham Police added.

In the fall of 2025, Halpern was believed to have a blood clot that eventually was determined to be a cancerous mass growing on a vein near his heart.

He had his second open-heart surgery to have the mass removed and was back to work within weeks on light duty.

"His return to work was incredible and the impact it had on those around him was amazing to witness," his department said.

His medical team discovered that the growth was a rare form of sarcoma that has never been seen or studied before, according to Evesham Police.

In February, he finished 12 rounds of radiation and two rounds of intensive chemotherapy and continued to fight through the summer.

Halpern was a father of two and leaves behind a wife, Jillian.

"He was a trusted mentor, a loyal friend, and the kind of person who always put others before himself," the Department said.

Tributes to Halpern from first responders all across the Garden State were shared to social media on Tuesday.

"Please keep Detective Halpern's family, the members of the Evesham Township Police Department, and all those mourning his loss in your thoughts and prayers," the Lumberton Township Police said.

Gloucester Township Police Chief Anthony Minosse and his force also spoke in Halpern's honor.

"Our prayers go out to his family, friends, and to our brothers and sisters at the Evesham Township Police," the agency wrote.

Evesham Police honored Halpern in 2025 with its "Warrior Award," given to a member of the agency or a family member who has shown "unwavering strength and perseverance...through a life-altering or tragic event."

This, after he became the first recipient in the Department's history after that first months-long battle with a rare mediastinal germ cell cancer in 2021.

"We often think of warriors as people who win a single battle. But a true warrior is someone who when life demands a second or third round, simply tightens their armor and steps back into the arena," police said.

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