Seidle children get millions after killer cop’s warning signs ignored

🔴 Nine children will split a settlement after their mother was killed by their father.

🔴 Records show repeated domestic violence warnings, yet his service weapon was returned multiple times.

🔴 A separate case against Asbury Park officers is still pending.

FREEHOLD BOROUGH — The nine children of a beloved mother shot to death by her police officer ex-husband in the streets of Asbury Park have settled a long-awaited lawsuit for $4 million.

On Friday, a Superior Court judge in Monmouth County ordered the public release of the December settlement with Neptune Township and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. John Paff with TransparencyNJ.com first reported on the judge's order.

According to the settlement, Neptune Township's insurer Nationwide will pay $3.75 million, and the MCPO will pay a quarter million. Each of Tamara Wilson-Seidle's nine children will receive $316,756.80. Nearly $1,120,000 will go to their attorneys.

Asbury Park shooting and conviction

The seven-figure settlement comes nearly 11 years after Wilson-Seidle was shot a dozen times around 11:30 a.m. on June 16, 2015. The German-born breast cancer survivor was a cheerleader, the Neptune High School homecoming queen, and a devoted Catholic.

At 51 years old, she was killed by her ex-husband. They had been married for 25 years and divorced for one month.

Get our free mobile app

Philip Seidle pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and child endangerment. In court, he admitted that he went berserk after learning that another man had moved in with his ex-wife.

“Your mother is dead because of her actions," Seidle said in a text to his children. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Now 61 years old, he will be eligible for parole on Dec. 13, 2040, according to state prison records.

Internal affairs records reveal repeated warnings ignored

At the time of the shooting, Philip Seidle was an off-duty Neptune Township police sergeant. He was on the force for 22 years.

In 2020, more than 800 pages of Seidle's internal affairs records were released. Many pages were redacted, but they show that the police department was aware of numerous domestic violence incidents.

In some cases, the police officer's children called the cops on him. His children's attorneys describe Seidle as a "ticking time bomb" with a documented history of mental instability.

Despite being found unfit for duty several times and suspended twice, Officer Seidle had his service weapon returned to him.

He used that .40-caliber Glock to kill Wilson-Seidle.

Separate lawsuit targets Asbury Park police response

The Seidle children still have another lawsuit pending against the Asbury Park police. Three officers at the scene are accused of mishandling the situation,

After a year-long investigation, then-Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni defended the Asbury Park officers. During a 2016 interview with New Jersey 101.5 afternoon host Jeff Deminski, Gramiccioni said the officers had no shot to take down Seidle.

Gramiccioni said that at the chaotic scene, there were innocent bystanders and parked cars blocking the officers' view. Seidle also held the gun to his own head; state law prevents police from shooting a person who is threatening to kill himself.

However, one officer was demoted from captain to sergeant and suspended for 120 days without pay. The lawsuit is ongoing.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom