Monmouth Prosecutor Details How Long Branch Family Died

FREEHOLD, NJ - Three members of a Long Branch family and a friend murdered on New Year's Eve were all shot at close range multiple times with a semi-automatic rifle, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

All fourth deaths were ruled as homicides by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner's Office, he said.

The weapon's magazine had fifteen 7.62 millimeter bullets in it, Gramiccioni said.

The retention hearing for the 16-year-old boy charged with the murders was postponed until 11 a.m. on Wednesday. A member of the news media had filed a legal challenge to keeping reporters out of the hearing, he said.

But Monmouth County Assignment Judge Lisa B. Thornton denied the Asbury Park Press' request late this afternoon, according to the Prosecutor's Office's Facebook page.

Steven Kologi, 44, his wife, Linda Kologi, 42, their daughter, Brittany Kologi, 18, and family friend Mary Schultz, 70, were allegedly gunned down by Scott Kologi, the couple's 16-year-old autistic son in their Wall Street home late on New Year's Eve, authorities have said.

Long Branch police and the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office were at the home within a minute of receiving a 911 call from inside the house.

Originally it was thought that another son and a grandfather escaped, but Gramiccioni said Tuesday a third person, a friend, had also gotten away from the house. The family pets, a dog and two cats, were unharmed, he said.

The youth's retention hearing, which is similar to a first appearance for an adult, will be held tomorrow. Scott Kologi has already been charged with four counts of murder and one count of possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose.

The Prosecutor's Office will fight to have the case heard in adult court, rather than juvenile court, he said.

"A quadruple homicide situation, this is the first I've seen or heard of it ... as prosecutor in this county," Gramiccioni said.

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