Drug party murder at property of former senator, NJ cops say

DELAWARE TOWNSHIP — A sprawling rural property owned by former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli was the scene of a suspected murder involving drugs on Sunday.

Police say 38-year-old Newton resident Michele Carkhuff was stabbed to death by Brandon Petersen, 31, a violent ex-con who has spent most of his life behind bars since at the age of 15, when he almost killed a woman by stabbing her as well.

Petersen is accused of stabbing Carkhuff while they were chopping stew vegetables after both of them had taken drugs, according to a witness statement to police.