Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office

                                 25 Kirkpatrick Street, 3rd Floor, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901 (732) 745-3300

 

                                *News Release*          Date: August 13, 2009
 
 

 

 


South Brunswick woman pleads guilty in double homicide case

 

 

          Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan announced that a 19-year-old South Brunswick woman pleaded guilty today to charges of assisting in the slaying of a township couple in their home on October 8, 2008.

 

Nicole Taylor, (DOB 7/30/90) of the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick, pleaded guilty to two counts of being an accomplice to passion-provocation manslaughter.

 

She also pleaded guilty to a count of attempted theft, admitting she tried to deposit a $2,100 check from the victims’ trucking company into her personal account. The check was rejected by her bank.

 

Under a plea agreement reached with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Julie Davidson, the defendant faces up to 10 years in a New Jersey state prison and must serve 85 percent of the term before she can be released on parole.

 

Upon her release, Taylor will be placed on parole for three years.

 

In addition, Taylor agreed to testify truthfully at any future court proceedings involving the murders of Michael J. Maltese, 58, and his wife, Kathleen Maltese, 53.

 

During a hearing today before Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick, Taylor admitted holding Mrs. Maltese while Mr. Maltese was killed, and said she held Mrs. Maltese until Mrs. Maltese was attacked.

 

Taylor also said she failed to take any action to prevent the couple from being murdered.

 

Taylor, who lived with the Malteses at their home on Maple Street in the Monmouth Junction Mobile Home Park, was arrested and charged after the victims were discovered in a shallow grave in Beech Woods Park in the township on October 25, 2008.

 

A co-defendant, Michael A. Maltese, (DOB 10/14/88) is awaiting trial on charges including the murder of his parents. No trial date has been set.

 

As is the case with all criminal defendants, Maltese is presumed innocent until proven guilty.