A New Jersey state trooper — once entrusted with protecting the governor — gunned down his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend before killing himself, following months of stalking after their breakup.
Franklin Township police rushed to a Pittstown home around 12:20 p.m. Saturday after receiving a report of an unconscious woman, Hunterdon County prosecutors revealed Monday.
Inside, officers found Lauren Semanchik, 33, and Tyler Webb, 29, dead from gunshot wounds in what prosecutors called a “targeted attack.”
Detectives quickly identified Semanchik’s ex-boyfriend, New Jersey State Police Lt. Ricardo Santos, 45, as a possible suspect and began searching for him.
Soon after the search began, Santos was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his 2008 white Mercedes in Piscataway, about 50 miles away, prosecutors said.
A semiautomatic handgun, believed to be the murder weapon, was found beside Santos.
Investigators later learned that Franklin Township police officers responded to a 911 call in the area of Semanchik’s residence the night before — where “audible gunshots and screaming” were heard by the operator — but were never able to pinpoint where the noises came from.
Police also learned that Semanchik, a veterinarian, had installed cameras in her car after reporting that Santos was stalking her.
Footage captured her vehicle leaving her veterinary office in Long Valley at 5:25 p.m. Friday.
The rear camera recorded Santos’ Mercedes closely following Semanchik from her workplace to her home.
Semanchik arrived home just before 6 p.m. Ten minutes later, someone emerged from the woods bordering her driveway.
Nearly half an hour later, Webb’s vehicle arrives at the home and parks next to Semanchik’s vehicle, prosecutors said.
Semanchik’s family told CBS News her father was the one who discovered his daughters and Webb’s bodies on Saturday, and it appeared that “she was running away” when she was killed.
“She was shot in the back,” said Semanchik’s sister, Deanna. “She gave so much of her life to other people and she deserved so much better.”
The family recounted the chilling series of events that began after Semanchik ended her relationship with Santos in September 2024.
Semanchik and Santos had only been dating for three months when she ended the relationship, and soon after began being stalked and “harassed” by the trooper.
“She tried to block him many times and he continued to call her from restricted numbers. He showed up at her work, that’s where the car was keyed,” Deanna Semanchik told the outlet.
“He put recording devices in her home, water in her gas tank. He harassed her left and right.”
The victim’s mother, Jeannine Semanchik, said her daughter tried to make law enforcement aware of her crazy ex, but nothing was ever done to protect her.
“A lot of agencies failed her. She tried to get restraining orders. Nobody called her back,” Jeannine Semanchik said.
Santos previously worked as a supervisor on Gov. Phil Murphy’s protection detail, CBS News reported.
“We are shocked and devastated by this horrific tragedy,” a spokesperson for his office said. “Due to the law enforcement investigation currently underway, we will refrain from further comment at this time.”
Semanchik earned her undergraduate and veterinary degrees from the University of Wisconsin and was a beloved veterinarian at Long Valley Animal Hospital, whose passion for helping animals was unmatched.
“Not only was Lauren a phenomenal veterinarian, she was one of the kindest souls you could ever encounter and a friend to us all,” according to a GoFundMe page launched by her co-workers to help with funeral expenses and to honor her memory through charitable donations.
“She was gentle, never judgmental, and gave hugs and hand-holding to families that needed support the most during their most difficult moments.”
Webb was a member of the Pinewald Pioneer Volunteer Fire Company, who “served our department with dedication and honor,” the fire company wrote on Facebook.
“He held the positions of Chief Engineer, Past Lieutenant, and Past Trustee during his time with the company. His contributions to our company and community will never be forgotten.”
Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée Robeson confirmed the case was being investigated as an act of domestic violence and a targeted double homicide.
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