Ocean County man, 37, will spend 30 years in prison for parents’ double murder

⚠️ A Barnegat man who admitted killing his parents was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

➡️ Prosecutors said he fatally stabbed both victims inside their home in November 2023.

🔴 The slain couple had lived in Barnegat for decades and were nearing 50 years of marriage.

A 37-year-old Ocean County man who admitted to violently killing his parents in their home will serve 30 years in prison.

In March, Michael Mulgrew, of Barnegat, pleaded guilty to the 2023 murders of Eugene Mulgrew, 71, and Cheryl Mulgrew, 69, also of Barnegat.

On Friday, Superior Court Guy P. Ryan handed down two 30-year terms to be served at the same time.

Read More: Barnegat man pleads guilty to parents' murders after rage

Mulgrew murders sentence -

Drug-fueled attack ended with the brutal deaths of both parents

The bloody scene was discovered before noon by first responders on Nov. 2, 2023.

Around 11 a.m., Barnegat Township Police were called to support medical personnel who were doing a requested mobile outreach at a Lincoln Avenue residence, not far from Barnegat High School.

Without realizing it at the time, officers saw Mulgrew walking down the quiet suburban road, moments before they discovered a blood-smeared front door to the three-bedroom home.

Inside, both victims had been stabbed multiple times before being dragged to a bedroom.

Read More: Parents beaten to death in Hillsborough home, son now charged

After 2023 double murder in a Barnegat home, adult son gets prison (Google Maps)

Investigators pieced the scene together and Michael Mulgrew was tracked down in the area of West Bay Boulevard and Gunning River Road, and taken into custody.

He later told investigators he had attacked and killed his parents after a several-day bender of illegal drug use.

Mulgrew said he became upset that they were threatening to crackdown on his household responsibilities, took a knife from the kitchen and stabbed his mother, and then his father as he tried to intervene, investigators previously said.

Mulgrew has remained in police custody since his 2023 arrest.

Mulgrew murders - Cheryl and Eugene Mulgrew Barnegat Funeral Home

Victims remembered as childhood sweethearts nearing 50 years married

Eugene and Cheryl Mulgrew, beloved as “Geno” and “Sherrie” to close family and friends, were memorialized as childhood sweethearts who both grew up in Bloomfield.

They had moved south to Barnegat over 40 years earlier and were close to celebrating 50 years of marriage.

The Mulgrews had two children, both now grown, and were also survived by Cheryl’s mother, as well as several of their own siblings and other close relatives.

“Together, they created a home filled with warmth, laughter, and love. Their unwavering bond was a beacon of love and support, touching the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing them,” according to a joint obituary for the slain couple.

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