Just one week after Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour was found shot to death in her car, another New Jersey Republican is gunned down.
Milford Borough Council member Russell Heller, 51, was shot dead in his vehicle – just like Dwumfour) according to a report from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.
The shooting took place at the PSE&G facility in Franklin Township around 7am on Febuary 8, 2023 were he had worked for 11 years.
“We are heartbroken at the tragic death of Russell Heller,” PSE&G said in a statement provided to MyCentralJersey. “Russell was an admired employee and a supervisor with over 11 years of service with PSE&G. He will be sorely missed by all and our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.”
Police tracked the alleged shooter Gary Curtis and found him dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Heller, a Republican, was elected to the Milford Borough Council in 2017 and was recently re-elected to the small Hunterdon County town in 2020.
“On behalf of the Hunterdon County Board of Commissioners, we share in the collective shock and grief felt upon learning of Russell Heller’s senseless shooting death today. Russell was a dedicated and valuable member of the Milford and Hunterdon County community whose leadership and commitment will be sorely missed,” said director of the county commission Zachary Rich. “More importantly, however, Russell was a loving and caring father to his daughter and a dedicated and loyal friend to all of those who had the pleasure of knowing him. We join our colleagues in Milford in offering our most sincere heartfelt condolences to the Heller Family at this unimaginably difficult time for their tragic loss.”
Just a week ago we reported, 30-year-old Republican was a dedicated member of the Borough Council, committed to serving all of Sayreville’s residents.
At 7:22pm, a 911 call reported shots fired in the area. Ms. Dwumfour was found dead in her vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds.
Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick described the shooting as a “despicable criminal act,” and said that Ms. Dwumfour was a woman of deep faith who worked hard to integrate her Christian beliefs into her daily life. Kilpatrick shared, “On a personal note, I can’t adequately express my feeling of sorrow at the loss of a friend.”
Detective Juan Rodriguez and Pastor Doctor Nelia Rodriguez also reported the death on Facebook, saying that she was an amazing friend who loved God and was full of life. They shared, “We are so heartbroken to announce that our friend, Councilwoman from Sayreville, part of our HRC (Human Relation Commission), our personal friend, a woman of God Eunice Dwumfour was [murdered] tonight in Sayreville.”
Police do not have a motive or a suspect in Dwumfour’s death. Officials do believe that the murder surrounding Heller was a result of workplace violence.
