Crime & Safety
Woman Found Dead In Morris Twp Remembered As Friendly Neighbor
Neighbors in Morris Township and Manhattan told media outlets they were shocked Paula Chin's son was charged in connection to her death.
MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Manhattan women's apparent murder has rattled communities in two states after her body was found dumped in Morris Township Tuesday night.
Paula Chin, a 65-year-old Manhattan woman who kept a weekend home in Morris Township, was found dead near her suburban home on Bailey Hollow Road Tuesday, police said. Neighbors in both communities expressed shock at her death, particularly over her son's apparent involvement.
Son Jared Eng, 22, has been charged with concealing a corpse in connection to his mother's death, police said on Wednesday. His reported girlfriend, Caitlyn O’Rourke, 21, and friend Jennifer Lopez, 18, also face the same charge. (No additional charges were filed by press time on Thursday.)
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Neighbors expressed surprise that Eng, who has not been charged with murder, was charged at all in connection to his mother's death.
"She [was] always talking about how good a son he was. I don’t know what would make him do this," a Manhattan neighbor told the NY Post.
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"She always had a very big smile on her face, and asked 'How are you doing,'" a Morris Township neighbor told MorristownGreen. Another neighbor told the paper Chin spent most of her time in Manhattan and mentioned she had two sons.
Even her younger son expressed love for Chin, reportedly telling reporters, "I loved her very much. She gave me everything," as he left a Manhattan police station. He denied killing his mother.
Older son Brandon Eng reportedly notified police that his mother was missing Monday night, less than 24 hours before she was found dead.
Details about Chin's death remain vague, but investigators believe she was stabbed in her Manhattan apartment, then her body was placed in a garbage bag and driven to her Morris Township home. Homicide detective are reportedly looking into the possibility she was killed over a family dispute about money.
An official cause of death has not yet been established, police said. The NYPD is leading the investigation.
Image via NYPD, Shutterstock
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