Montgomery County man charged in the kidnapping, murder of co-worker from Sellersville
A Royersford man is accused of robbing his co-worker, kidnapping and murdering him in late 2021, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said Friday.
On Thursday, Michael Allen Stark, 49, was arraigned on charges that he killed Matthew James Branning, 50, in October 2021.
First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said Stark kidnapped Branning from work, robbed him and killed him. His body has not been recovered, and Schorn said investigators do not know how he was killed.
Police investigating hit-and-run:Victim, driver exchanged words before fatal hit-and-run in McDonald's lot in Levittown: DA
Husband charged in murder:Sellersville husband charged in murder of wife missing since October
Stark is charged with first- and second-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping, flight to avoid apprehension, criminal use of a communications facility and theft, which are felonies, as well as misdemeanors of theft, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.
He was sent to Bucks County Prison without bail.
In December 2021, District Attorney Matt Weintraub held a press conference to help get tips on the whereabouts of the two men, who had not been seen since Oct. 15, 2021. The two worked together at Enchlor, Inc, a parts manufacturing business in Silverdale.
On Thursday, the Bucks County Investigating Grand Jury recommended Stark be charged with the offenses.
Branning and Stark reported missing in October 2021
On Oct. 16, 2021, Branning's family reported he had not returned home from his job the previous day, which was unusual. His family, who he was close to, told investigators he had not returned calls or answered his phone when they called him.
"It would be out character and unheard of for him to leave the area without communicating with his family," Schorn said.
During the investigation into Branning's disappearance, authorities found Stark was not responding to any of their calls, nor was he responding to calls to his family, according to court documents. Stark's phone stopped being used on Oct. 15, 2021, officials said.
Additionally, the room Stark rented in Royersford, Montgomery County, looked like it had not been touched since October, court documents state.
Stark, Branning worked at Silverdale shop
Stark and Branning were two of three employees at Enchlor, according to court documents. Stark, police said, had been there about six months when Branning went missing. There were a few conflicts when Stark started but otherwise they did get along professionally, court documents state.
Stark worked nights and Branning worked during the day, and the two did not overlap often.
Stark was arrested in early October 2021 for a warrant out of Monroe County for failing to appear in court on charges of drug possession and resisting arrest, police said. He was taken to Montgomery County Prison, and released the next day, police said.
Stark asked his boss for a ride from the prison, but his boss asked Branning to pick him up, which he did, court documents state. On Oct. 12 and Oct. 13, Stark did not show up for work.
On Oct. 15, his boss called him and told him he would be fired if he did not show up for work.
Branning kidnapped by Stark, police allege
His boss left the business at 2:30 p.m., and asked Branning to text him when Stark, who was supposed to be there at 3:30 p.m., showed up. He did not hear from him, and when his boss returned about two hours later, no one was there.
Schorn said Stark took an Uber to the business that afternoon. Branning, who was scheduled to end his shift around that time, was kidnapped by Stark, who was "laying in wait," she said.
Video surveillance from a nearby bank showed Branning withdrew $500 from his bank account about 4 p.m. That video showed Branning get back into his car. No one was with him in the passenger seat, however it looked as though someone was in the back seat of the car, according to authorities.
The last activity on Branning's bank account was at a gas station in Somers Point, New Jersey, about three hours later.
His vehicle was seen going through tolls and was last spotted on the Atlantic City Expressway traveling toward Philadelphia about 10:40 p.m., officials said. Cellphone records show Branning's phone was near a Wawa in Cape May about an hour earlier. Stark was seen on surveillance there making a purchase, according the DA's office.
Branning's vehicle was discovered abandoned, in Virginia, in December 2021. Investigators said the car had Branning's drivers license, credit cards and bank cards in it. Stark's DNA was recovered from the steering wheel, according to Schorn.
Paraphernalia used to store crack cocaine were also found in the vehicle, police said.
Branning, an outdoorsman who loved to live a healthy lifestyle, did not use drugs, Schorn said.
Stark arrested in Michigan
In December, investigators were contacted by an employee of a machine shop in Michigan, who told them Stark had worked there recently for a few weeks but had been fired.
Stark was arrested in Michigan in April on his Monroe County charges, court documents state.
He was extradited back to Pennsylvania in July. Bucks County investigators tried to speak to Stark, but he refused to answer questions, police said. They had a warrant for his DNA. It matched DNA found on the steering wheel of Branning's car, officials said.
Stark testified to the grand jury Thursday, police said.
He claimed he had nothing to do with Branning's disappearance, court documents state.
When presented with evidence of his involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Branning, Stark asserted he was telling the truth, according to the grand jury presentment.
Stark does not have an attorney listed yet. His preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 21.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Royersford man charged in the kidnapping, murder of Sellersville man
