A Linden man faces a first-degree murder charge in strangling a woman who was found in her apartment on New Year’s Eve, Union County prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo announced on Saturday.
Edward T. Sokowski, 62, was arrested after the police found Kim E. Lewandowski, also 62, dead in the apartment on block 200 on South Wood Avenue in Linden, officials said. The relationship between the two was not specified by the authorities.
Linden police arrived at Sokowski’s apartment at 8:08 pm on December 31 and found Lewandowski there, officials said. She was pronounced dead shortly after 8:30 pm, the prosecution said.
Sokowski was arrested on Friday and held at Union County Prison pending a detention hearing. The investigation was conducted by the Union County Homicide Task Force with the help of the Linden Police Department and the Crime Scene Unit of the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
“I would like to commend the professionalism and speed with which this investigation was conducted,” said Ruotolo in a statement. “Almost 24 hours have passed since the time of the initial call through the autopsy and investigation and even the arrest, bringing quick justice to a defendant who has committed a horrible crime.”
Anyone with information on the matter should contact the task force sergeant. Johnny Ho at 908-403-8271 or Detective Sonia Rodriguez at 908-341-3380.
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Rebecca Panico can be found at [email protected].