NJ man gets 35 years in prison for killing elderly neighbor with hammer

TOMS RIVER — A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for killing his elderly neighbor with a hammer, meaning he won't be freed until he's at least 90 years old.

Superior Court Judge James Blaney issued the sentenced Friday for 57-year-old Alan Bienkowski for the 2013 murder of Anthony Verdicchio. He's also ineligible for parole for 30 years of that sentence.

Bienkowski was found guilty in February.

During his trial, Bienkowski had testified that he was high on heroin when he broke into 76-year-old Verdicchio's house in Manchester and found the man already dead. Bienkowski acknowledged stealing collectibles, including coins.

Part of Bienkowski's alibi was that he was out running errands and snorting heroin that day.

The judge told him he found it "a senseless homicide that really defies explanation."