A routine welfare check on Majesty Lane in Franklin Township turned into an overnight SWAT standoff that ended with a woman stabbed to death and a 60-year-old man facing murder charges. Police say Craig Montgomery barricaded himself inside the home with a knife before officers forced their way in and found the victim unresponsive from stab wounds to her chest.
According to nj1015.com, Franklin Township police received a 911 call reporting loud arguing and requesting a welfare check at the Majesty Lane residence. Officers initially tried to make contact with the people inside but could not reach them, prompting them to return to the home after a second call raised further concerns, per a separate account from nj.com, which reported the initial 911 call came in around 10:11 p.m. Tuesday.
Montgomery told officers he was armed with a knife and had barricaded himself inside the home, the station's report states. That standoff stretched into the early morning hours before the Somerset County SWAT team, along with crisis negotiators and tactical medics, arrived at the scene at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday.
SWAT Forces Entry, Finds Victim Inside
SWAT members forced their way into the home through a sliding door, and Montgomery came at them with the knife, per the same account. Montgomery was taken into custody and later transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment of minor injuries.
Inside the home, officers found a woman who had been stabbed in the chest; she was pronounced dead at the scene. A second person inside the home was physically unharmed, authorities said. As of Wednesday, the woman's identity had not been publicly released, with authorities citing a pending autopsy.
Murder, Weapons Charges Filed
Craig Montgomery, a 60-year-old Somerset County resident, is now facing counts of first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to nj1015.com. Details on Montgomery's legal representation, any prior criminal history, or his relationship to the victim have not been disclosed.
Investigators have not released a motive for the stabbing, and it remains unclear whether Montgomery has entered a plea or whether a judge has set any detention conditions following his hospital discharge. The case remains an active and ongoing investigation.
