Major Crimes:
The Major Crimes Unit of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office is
charged with the investigation of unlawful deaths or HOMICIDES. These
crimes fall into different categories depending on aggravating or mitigating
factors. The most serious of the homicide charges, MURDER, can, depending
upon the circumstances of the crime, expose the defendant to the death
penalty. The other categories of homicide investigated by the Unit are
AGGRAVATED MANSLAUGHTER, a first-degree crime and MANSLAUGHTER, a second-degree
crime. The Unit also investigates suspicious deaths (where the cause
or circumstances may not be obvious), police shootings involving injury
or death and those incidents of severe assaults where the nature of
the injury threatens the life of the victim.
