A Hudson County jury convicted a Bayonne woman of manslaughter after a five-day retrial over her husband’s strangulation death from September 2015, authorities said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Michelle Hurley, 48, of Bayonne, was convicted by a Hudson County jury of second-degree manslaughter involving the death of her husband, David Hurley, in 2015 today, the prosecutor’s office announced.
After this five-day retrial, the jury deliberated approximately four hours before returning their decision of guilty on the manslaughter charge.
The jury also acquitted her of aggravated manslaughter, officials said.
The first trial for Hurley case was held in November and December 2018.
On December 10th, Hurley was found guilty of second-degree aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon (power cord) and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, authorities said.
However, at the time, she was found not guilty of murder and passion/provocation manslaughter.
During the initial trial, the jury was hung on the counts of aggravated manslaughter and manslaughter, therefore, the defendant was retried on those counts only.
Hurley faces up to 10 years in state prison and will have to serve 85 percent of any sentence imposed without the possibility of parole.
On September 28, 2015, Bayonne police officers and Emergency Medical Services responded to the home of Michelle and David Hurley.
David Hurley had no pulse and his face was blue. David remained in a comatose state until October 7th, 2015, when he was taken off life-support. He died the next day.
The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the Cause of death was ligature strangulation.
Hudson County Superior Court Judge John Young presided over the trial.
After the verdict, Young ordered the defendant detained pending sentencing. Michelle Hurley’s sentencing is currently schedule for May 2nd.
The state was represented by Assistant Prosecutor Salvatore Rozzi and Assistant Prosecutor Erica Bertuzzi from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Furthermore, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit and the Bayonne Police Department investigated the case.
