Arrest Made In Murder, Kidnapping Of Missing Bucks County Man

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A 49-year-old man from Royersford has been charged with kidnapping and murdering Matthew James Branning, 50, of Sellersville, who went missing in October 2021 after leaving his job in Silverdale Borough.

Michael Allen Stark has been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and related offenses for killing Branning, his co-worker at Enchlor Inc., in Silverdale, following an investigation by detectives with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Perkasie Borough Police Department with the assistance of the Bucks County Investigating Grand Jury.

The arrest was announced Friday morning by Bucks County First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Schorn during a press conference at the Bucks County Justice Center in Doylestown.

Aided by tips from the public, Schorn said the investigation concluded that Stark kidnapped Branning at the end of his work shift on Oct. 15, 2021, forced him to withdraw money from a nearby ATM, and then fled into New Jersey in the victim’s vehicle. At some point during the encounter, Stark killed Branning and disposed of his body, she said.

The victim’s body has not been recovered.

Stark was arraigned Thursday night by Magisterial District Judge Terrence Hughes on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, kidnapping, criminal use of a communication facility, flight to avoid apprehension, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. He is also
charged with two counts of robbery and three counts of theft by unlawful taking.

Stark was sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail.

Investigators say on the day of Branning’s disappearance, evidence shows that although Stark failed to appear for his shift, he took an Uber to Enchlor and was lying in wait for Branning. Shortly thereafter, Branning was seen on surveillance footage withdrawing money from a drive-thru ATM in Sellersville at 4:07 p.m. There was no one in his passenger seat, but a person is partially visible in the back seat of Branning’s 2002 Lexus SUV, said investigators.

Toll and cellphone data then showed Branning’s vehicle traveling into Central New Jersey around 5 p.m., and Branning’s bank account is used at a gas station in Somers Point at 7:05 p.m., investigators said.

Evidence shows that there is over an hour and a half of unaccounted for time in the Somers Point area until both Branning and Stark’s cellphone data is tracked to a Wawa in Cape May two hours later, said investigators. Stark is seen on surveillance video making a purchase there at 9:27 p.m. but Branning is not seen in the footage. An employee at the store later said Stark bought a car charger and USB cable, investigators said.

Branning’s Lexus is then tracked by toll information heading northbound and then westbound on the Atlantic City Expressway. Hours later, Stark’s cellphone data is tracked to Needle Park in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.

Since that date, there has been no activity on Branning’s cellphone, his bank account, or any contact with his family, investigators said.

Family members told investigators in 2021 there is no explanation for Branning to travel unexpectedly to New Jersey and it was out of character for him to not contact his family or miss work, where he had been employed for nine years.

In December 2021, Branning’s vehicle was recovered in Falls Church, Virginia. Forensic evidence was collected from inside the vehicle, tested and linked to Stark, investigators said. Also recovered in the vehicle were crack vials linked to the drug market at Needle Park in Kensington.

Stark was arrested in April 2022 in Wayne County, Michigan, for a warrant out of Monroe County, Pennsylvania. He was extradited back to Pennsylvania on July 27, 2022.

The investigation was led by detectives with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Perkasie Police Department.