Indictment: Plumsted man fatally stabbed his wife 20 times, threatened to kill cops
An Ocean County man who was arrested last year after a police standoff that ended with his wife dead of 20 stab wounds has been indicted on first degree murder charges, authorities said Tuesday.
Arthur Haskoor, 57, of Plumsted Township was indicted by on Ocean County Grand Jury on May 25 in the murder of his wife, 48-year-old Susanne Haskoor. Police say the defendant is facing a sentence of 30 years to life in prison.
The prosecutor's office said the charges listed in the indictment against Haskoor include first-degree murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon. Police say he remains in Ocean County Jail on $1 million dollars with no ten percent option.
Authorities say that on Aug. 25, 2015 at about 10 a.m., New Egypt High School officials called 911 after they were informed of a domestic dispute taking place at 120 Evergreen Rd. in nearby Plumsted.
According to the prosecutor's office, when officers arrived, they found Susanne Haskoor's deceased body in the driveway of their home, after she had apparently succumbed to multiple stab wounds.
As officers approached the front entrance of the house, police say, they saw a note on the front door warning them that there were guns inside the home and threatening to kill police, authorities said. Police say they later spoke to Haskoor's son who confirmed that his father owned at least six weapons that were located inside the house.
Several law enforcement agencies surrounded the residence and at about 2:30 p.m., sent a camera-equipped robot into the home, where Arthur Haskoor was found unresponsive in the garage following an apparent drug overdose. Police say he was treated at Capital Health Regional Trauma Center in Trenton and later released.
Following his release from the hospital, prosecutors asked a Superior Court Judge to increase Haskoor's bail to $1 million, claiming he was a danger to the community, NJ Advance Media reported at the time.
Supervising Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor William Porter told a judge the crime was “particularly personal, angry and heinous,” according to the NJ Advance media report. The judge said Susan Haskoor sustained wounds to her face, neck, chest and torso, the article states.
The couple had been married for 20 years with two male children, ages 17 and 18, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.