Neptune Twp. cop accused of shooting wife dead in broad daylight indicted

The Neptune Township police officer accused of chasing his ex-wife through the streets of Asbury Park then shooting her to death at point-blank range as she remained trapped in her crashed Volkswagen has been formally indicted.

Philip Seidle could face life in prison without parole if convicted. He's facing charges of first-degree Murder, second=-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

According to authorities, Philip Seidle's 7-year-old daughter — the youngest of nine children — was in the front seat of the car as he chased down and killed her mother on June 16.

Philip Seidle, 51, of Neptune Township, was a 22-year veteran of the police force. He and his wife, Tamara Seidle, had formally divorced only three weeks before the shooting.

Philip Seidle is is currently being held in the Mercer County Correctional Center in lieu of $2 million bail with no 10 percent option.

If convicted of murder, Philip Seidle faces a minimum sentence of 30 years without parole in a New Jersey state prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without eligibility for parole, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said in an announcement of the indictment Tuesday.

A grand jury found he committed the alleged murder by his own conduct. That and two other aggravating factors make a sentence of life without parole possible, the prosecutor's office said: "that he purposely or knowingly created a grave risk of danger of death to another person in addition to the victim; and that the murder was outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman in that it involved torture, depravity of mind or an aggravated assault to the victim."

Philip Seidle was first hired as a patrolman on July 1, 1993, and has held the rank of sergeant in the Patrol Division since his promotion on Jan. 1, 2009. He is currently suspended from his post without pay.

According to the prosecutor's office, Asbury Park police responded to a report of an unrelated motor vehicle accident near the intersection of Ridge and Sewall Avenues in the city at approximately 11:26 a.m. on June 16.

During that service call, a black 2012 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Tamara Seidle, turned the corner onto Sewall Avenue before crashing into a parked 2002 Ford Focus. The Jetta was being being followed closely by the 2005 Honda Pilot driven by Philip Seidle, who exited the vehicle, pulled out a handgun and approached the driver’s side of the Jett, the prosecutor's office said.

Philip Seidle fired multiple shots into the vehicle, striking his ex-wife, according to the prosecutor's office.

Philip Seidle then turned the weapon on himself, pointing the weapon at his head, before moving to the front of the Jetta and firing several more shots into the windshield of the vehicle, it said.

After that round of shots, Philip Seidle again pointed the weapon at his own head, prompting a standoff with Asbury Park and Neptune Township offices, authorities have said. He eventually surrendered and was taken into custody.

Authorities have said that between the shootings, his 7-year-old daughter ran to safety.