January 16, 2004
Trenton,
NJ — A 25-year-old Hamilton Square man who allegedly strangled his mother was
indicted today on a charge of first-degree murder, Mercer County Prosecutor
Joseph L. Bocchini Jr. announced.
Benjamin J. Harrison (DOB 5/3/78), of Doreen Road, was charged in a multi-count indictment in the death of his mother, Dolores Marie Harrison. If convicted, Harrison could be sentenced to life in prison, required to serve at least 30 years without parole, Bocchini said.
Ms.
Harrison was reported missing from her Doreen Road home on April 8, 2003.
Through a joint investigation by detectives from the Hamilton Police
Department and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, it was determined that a
homicide occurred. Benjamin
Harrison was arrested and charged with his mother’s murder on April 9.
On April 17, Ms. Harrison’s body and evidence relating to the homicide
were found near Mercer County Park, behind the Mercer County
Vocational/Technical School.
In
addition to murder, Harrison was indicted on charges of possession of a weapon
for an unlawful purpose (2nd degree), unlawful possession of a weapon
(3rd degree), tampering with evidence ( ) and hindering prosecution (
). He remains in the Mercer
County Correction Center in lieu of $750,000 bail.
Despite having been indicted, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.