41-Year-Old Seaside Heights Man Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter For Causing The Death Of A 70-Year-Old Man
Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 7:30 A.M. ET. By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ.- On Monday, June 10, 2024, Anthony Collins, 41, of Seaside Heights, New Jersey appeared in Ocean County Superior Court and entered a guilty plea before the Honorable Guy P. Ryan, J.S.C. to a charge of manslaughter, for causing the death of Robert May, 70, of Seaside Heights, New Jersey, on October 1, 2023.
In return for the guilty plea, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office will agree to a 3-year New Jersey State Prison term when Collins is sentenced on August 9, 2024. The sentence will be subject to The No Early Release Act which will require Collins to serve 85% of his custodial term before becoming eligible for parole.
According to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, on September 18, 2023, at around 4:00 p.m., members of the Seaside Heights Police Department responded to the area of Sumner and Central Avenues in the Borough of Seaside Heights following receiving a report of a man that may have fallen.
Upon arrival, Police Officers found a man, later identified as Robert May, 70, of Seaside Heights, New Jersey, lying on the ground next to his bicycle with a severe cut to his head. Mr. May was treated at the scene by EMS Personnel but refused further medical attention, and returned to his home. During the initial investigation, Police Officers determined that Mr. May was assaulted by an individual, which caused him to fall off his bicycle and strike his head on the pavement.
Just around an hour later, Seaside Heights Police Officers were notified that Mr. May was acting erratically at his home. Mr. May was subsequently transported from his home to Community Medical Center in Toms River. As Mr. May’s condition continued to deteriorate, he was transferred to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
On October 1, 2023, Mr. May sadly succumbed to his injury and was pronounced deceased. An autopsy performed by the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma from the September 18th assault, and the manner of death to be homicide.
The ensuing investigation by Detectives of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and the Seaside Heights Police Department determined that Collins was the individual who assaulted Mr. May on September 18, 2023, which ultimately led to his death.
On October 4, 2023, a warrant was issued for Collins’ arrest, and on October 15, 2023, Collins surrendered himself to Detectives at the Seaside Heights Police Department. Collins has remained detained at the Ocean County Jail, since his arrest.
“Certain proof problems in this case resulted in the State entering into a plea agreement with a recommended that is below the normal sentencing range for manslaughter. The victim’s family recognizes and understands those issues, and is in support of this resolution. I commend them for their compassionate and forgiving nature,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated.
