Newly released court documents reveal that Joseph Hertgen received a warning text about his brother Matthew’s mental health just an hour before he was tragically killed.
Matthew Hertgen, a former Wesleyan University soccer player, has been charged with first-degree murder and weapons offenses following the February 22 death of his younger brother, Joseph Hertgen, 26.
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According to a probable-cause affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital and NBC News, Matthew, 31, allegedly attacked Joseph with a knife and a golf club before removing his brother’s eye. He is also facing an animal cruelty charge after reportedly setting the family’s cat on fire.
Court documents indicate that Joseph had been warned about Matthew’s mental state by their surviving brother, who sent a text advising him to reach out if he needed help. Joseph responded with “will do” and thanked him. The surviving brother also told Joseph that Matthew was experiencing “visions” and later invited Matthew on a hike the next day, encouraging him to “hang in there.” However, he received no response.
Later that day, Matthew called 911, reporting a fire and a deceased person at a Princeton, New Jersey, apartment. When authorities arrived, they discovered Joseph’s body on the dining room floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. He had suffered blunt force trauma to the head and a laceration to his chest and abdomen. Officers also found blood-soaked utensils and a plate on the dining table, according to the affidavit.
While being taken into custody, Matthew allegedly told officers he had gone “into a fit of madness.”
The surviving brother, who had spent hours with Matthew earlier that day, described him as being “extremely distressed, despondent, and experiencing terrifying visions.” He told authorities that Matthew had been struggling with severe mental illness for five years.
Matthew remains in custody and has consented to detention ahead of his next court appearance on March 24.
