Brick man, 34, gets life in prison for hiring killer to murder his own father

⚖️ A Brick Township man is sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of his own father.
🔻 Prosecutors said the killing was a murder-for-hire plot, carried out by a former prison bunkmate.
🏠 The victim was beaten to death inside his Ocean County home, shocking a quiet neighborhood.

A 34-year-old Brick Township man will spend the rest of his life in prison for hiring an old prison associate to beat his own father to death in Ocean County.

Mark J. Austin was sentenced on Thursday, three months after being convicted of the murder of Mark Richard Austin.

The 55-year-old victim was found in his Brick Township home on a usually quiet residential street, just a couple of blocks from a waterfront park.

Father found beaten to death inside Ocean County home

Brick Township Police responded to Acorn Drive on Sept. 7, 2019, and found Mark Richard Austin dead of blunt force trauma.

Investigators tracked the crime to the victim’s son and to Jeray Melton, of Salem City.

Read More: NJ man who killed father, stashed body at home heads to prison

Killers met while previously incarcerated, prosecutors say

Austin met Melton while they were prison bunkmates, NJ.com reported in October, citing court testimony.

Both men had criminal records before the murder-for-hire scheme was launched.

They have both remained in custody since their arrests, days after the killing.

At a plea hearing in February 2020, Melton admitted Austin promised to pay him $50,000 to kill his father, the same NJ.com report said.

Following a nearly five-week-long jury trial, Austin was found guilty in October of both murder and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Read More: A bizarre, NJ neighbor feud in Bayville turns deadly

Brick victim mourned by family as beloved and dependable “fixer”

The victim was remembered as a “go-to fixer” by his many loved ones, co-owning a family run HVAC business.

“Our stories and memories of Mark are endless, keep those in your hearts and heads," according to an online obituary, which added “He lived a life with a motto of ‘No Regrets' and ‘Judge No One.’”

Prosecutor calls crime ‘calculated and merciless’

“While no sentence can undo the harm caused, we are hopeful that today’s outcome delivers some sense of peace and justice to the loved ones of Mark Richard Austin,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.

Billhimer also said the sentence of life without parole “underscores the calculated and merciless nature” of Mark J. Austin’s crimes and provides “permanent accountability.”

Melton, who is also 34, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter nearly six years ago.

He was slated for sentencing tomorrow, before Ocean County Superior Court Judge Guy Ryan.

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