Prosecutors Warn NJ ‘Werewolf’ Killer is Lying About Past in Online Dating Profile, Reports Say

A New Jersey man, known as the "werewolf" killer for stabbing a complete stranger to death, is trying to find love using an online dating profile playing down his violent past, prosecutors warn.

Pankaj Bhasin spent three years in a mental health facility after he drove from his home in New Jersey to a store in Virginia and killed the manager, 65-year-old Bradford Jackson, in 2018. The Washington Post reported that Bhasin pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity following a mistrial.

Killer said victim was turning into werewolf

Bhasin reportedly told investigators that Jackson began turning into a werewolf and that he needed to kill him to “save 99 percent of the moon and planets."

Jackson was stabbed over 50 times with a box cutter and had his eyes gouged out. Bhasin's defense attorney Peter Greenspun told The Washington Post that Bhasin suffered from "severe bipolar disorder."

Werewolf killer released from custody

In June, a judge conditionally released Bhasin from confinement. NBC 4 Washington reported that he must take medication, wear a GPS monitor, and attend meetings with mental health workers at his home.

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Then three weeks ago, Sarah Bryen, a friend of the victim, posted screenshots on social media showing that Bhasin had created an online dating profile claiming he had recently returned from "two years of travel." It makes no mention of the brutal killing or any mental health issues.

"Please - send this to every female you know on the east coast. And watch out," Bryen said.

Authorities react to killer's dating profile

After being made aware of the account, prosecutors filed a motion this week to bar Bhasin from using social media or require software that allows his social media use to be supervised, NBC 4 Washington reported.

“Because the acquittee may be meeting potential romantic partners while not only concealing, but actively lying about his recent history, those individuals may be put at risk during a … time when the acquittee is first transitioning to the community,” the motion reportedly states.

NBC 4 Washington reported that the Facebook profile has since been taken down but Bryen told the station that it was not Bhasin's only account.

“I’m glad that it’s no longer available,” Bryen said. “I’ve had other women tell me that they’ve seen him on Bumble, on Hinge, on other sites, so even if one gets taken down, there’s nothing to say he just won’t make another profile.”

A judge ordered late Thursday afternoon that Bhasin take down his social media profiles, agreeing with prosecutors that the descriptions were intentionally misleading, NBC 4 Washington reported. The judge did not order any supervision.

We have reached out to Bhasin's attorney for comment.