Michael Kestenbaum, 62, was found dead at about 7:20 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2022, along Ackerman Street near Route 4 West in River Edge, authorities said. Charged on Thursday, Jan. 19, were Tyrone Closs, 32, and Aniesa Samad, 24, Musella said in a press statement.
In addition to aggravated manslaughter, the couple was charged with desecration of human remains, criminal restraint, elder abuse and obstruction, Musella said.
They were being held in the Bergen County Jail.
After an investigation, police concluded Kestenbaum was living with a man and woman at an apartment in Hackensack when he was killed, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. The prosecutor did not specify if the three were roommates or whether the couple had a formal caretaking arrangement with the disabled man.
No motive was given for the slaying, but an affidavit of probable cause states Closs and Samad told investigators that the victim “was living in their apartment and had fallen," the outlet said.
According to the affidavit, Kestenbaum was tied to a cart with a belt and cord, with a sock in his mouth, where he was left to die.
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