Philadelphia man charged in 2020 Franklin homicide
FRANKLIN (Somerset) – A Philadelphia man has been arrested and charged with the 2020 killing of a township man.
Juaquan S. Fitzgerald, 33, was charged with murder in the death of Duane S. Banks, 27, on April 27, 2020, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald.
Fitzgerald was arrested Aug. 31 with the assistance of the Philadelphia Police Department. He also was charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and unlawfully disturbing human remains.
Fitzgerald was held at Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia pending extradition to Somerset County.
Franklin police responded to a suspicious activity call at a residence on Park Street at 6:38 p.m. April 29, 2020, McDonald said.
Officers were told by neighbors that they had found a body in the wooded area at the rear of the residence.
An autopsy by the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Banks. The matter was deemed a homicide.
The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office has not released the cause of death.
A lengthy follow-up investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Franklin Township Police Department led to the arrest of Fitzgerald, McDonald said.
The prosecutor thanked the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Franklin Police Department at 732-873-5533 or via the STOPit app. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Philadelphia man charged in Franklin NJ 2020 homicide
