From the Essex County Prosecutor:
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Maplewood Police Chief Robert Cimino have announced that authorities are investigating an incident in which three people were found dead in a Maplewood apartment earlier today.
At approximately 11:45 am, the Maplewood Fire Department responded to an apartment on Van Ness Court to check on the well-being of a resident. Upon entering the apartment, firefighters discovered three unresponsive adults, two males and a female. The individuals were pronounced dead at the scene.
The deaths are being investigated as homicides, according to Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly. The identities of the victim are being withheld pending formal identification and notification of next of kin. Additionally, the exact cause of death will be determined by autopsies at the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.
This matter is being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Major Crimes Task Force and the Maplewood Police Department. The investigation is active an ongoing at this time, according to Fennelly.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Prosecutor’s Tips Line at (877) 847-7432.
Editor’s Note: NJ.com is reporting that the incident occurred at The Gardens at Maplewood, a garden apartment complex on Van Ness Court.
