MERCER COUNTY, N.J. (Court TV) — A former college soccer player was back in court Thursday on charges he brutally murdered his younger brother and the family cat.
Matthew Hertgen, 31, is facing multiple charges, including first-degree murder for the death of Joseph Hertgen, 26. According to court documents, Matthew called 911 on February 22 to report a fire and dead body in the family’s Princeton Township apartment.
Matthew Hergern appears in court Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Court TV)
During Thursday’s proceedings, Matthew spoke softly in court when his attorney and the judge asked if he consented to detention and waived his right to a bond hearing. The parties are due back in court on March 24.
A probable cause affidavit alleges that Matthew stabbed Joseph and beat him to death with a golf club. Officers also noted the family’s cat appeared to have been beaten and set on fire.
While taking Matthew into custody, officers observed “abrasions and scratches” on his hands, to which Matthew allegedly advised that he “went into a fit of madness.”
Court documents detail that during an investigation, another brother told officers that Matthew “has suffered from severe mental illness for the past five years.” On the day of Joseph’s murder, the brother said Matthew was “experiencing terrifying visions” and he spent most of the evening with him to help him. The brother told officers that he dropped Matthew off at the family’s apartment around 10 p.m. Matthew placed the 911 call at 11:16 p.m.
Matthew and Joseph were each standout athletes during their academic careers. Joseph played soccer for the University of Michigan and Matthew played soccer at Wesleyan University, according to the University of Michigan.
