Indiana men charged in death of man found dead in NJ woods

MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP — Four men from Indiana were charged in the death of a man from India whose badly decomposed body was found in a wooded area of Ocean County on Dec. 14.

A body later identified as Kuldeep Kumar, 35, was found inside the Greenwood Wildlife Management Area in Manchester Township on Dec. 14, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer.  The Ocean County Medical Examiner determined Kumar’s death was caused by multiple gunshot wounds to the chest.

Kumar had been reported missing by family members in the Ozone Park section of Queens on Oct. 26.

Sourav Kumar, 23, and Gaurav Singh, 27, both of Greenwood, Indiana had already been charged and arrested with Kuldeep Kumar's death on Oct. 20 in Indiana. Nirmal Singh, 30, and Gurdeep Singh, 22, also of Greenwood, Indiana were charged on Friday.

All were charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder and are being held at the Johnson County Jail in Franklin, Indiana, pending their extradition to New Jersey.

The prosecutor said all four "acted together and in support of one another in carrying out the murder of Kuldeep Kumar."

Billhimer did not disclose why Kuldeep Kumar was in the United States, a motive for his murder, or why the group from Indiana left his body in New Jersey. Greenwood, Indiana is located just south of Indianapolis and is approximately 700 miles from Manchester.

“The investigative efforts leading to the arrest of these defendants were nothing short of outstanding, and the teamwork exhibited by all the participating agencies truly exemplifies the best in law enforcement,” Billhimer said. “Collaborating with our law enforcement partners, particularly the FBI and NJSP (New Jersey State Police), lead to the identification of our victim and the swift apprehension of these defendants in Indiana. I want to express my deepest gratitude for their assistance in this investigation."

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom