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- YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A Waldwick man charged with killing his former live-in girlfriend in her bed as their 8-month-old son lay in a crib nearby was brought before a judge this morning in a Hackensack courtroom packed with loved ones from both sides and a platoon of sheriff’s officers and undersheriffs.“We love you, Mark!” someone shouted at the conclusion of the brief initial appearance for Mark Spatucci, 22. READ MORE….
Mark Spatucci, 22, then climbed out of Mary Greff’s house the same way, “unnoticed by the victim’s parents,” Molinelli said.
Apparently undisturbed was the couple’s young toddler, who lay in a nearby crib, he said.
Greff, Spatucci (Facebook photos)
Leon and Carol Ann Greff found the body of their daughter, who turned 23 on Monday, around 10:50 a.m. yesterday, the prosecutor said.
Molinelli said Spatucci drove to the home sometime Tuesday night and made his way to Greff’s bedroom.
A graduate of Midland Park High School, Spatucci became an immediate suspect after authorities were called. He was found in Midland Park yesterday afternoon, taken in for questioning and later charged, the prosecutor said.
The 5-foot-8 inch, 150-pound Spatucci was being held on $2 million bail in the Bergen County Jail, charged with murder, felony murder, burglary, child endangerment and hindering apprehension. He has a first appearance scheduled in Superior Court in Hackensack at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
The felony murder charge stems from Spatucci sneaking into the home through the window, which under the law is a burglary. A killing committed during the commission of another felony gives rise to the additional count.
The pair began dating about two years ago, Molinelli said.
In February, their eight-month-old boy – named Mark, like his father and paternal grandfather – was born.
The two lived together for a time at Spatucci’s Harrison Avenue apartment in Waldwick, but then Greff returned to live with her parents and the baby, the prosecutor said.
Greff had full custody, although Spatucci had visitation rights, he added.
Officially, Molinelli said: “The cause of death is currently under investigation and pending the final result of an autopsy which is being conducted by the Bergen County Medical Examiner. The manner of death is expected to be homicide.”
CLIFFVIEW PILOT first broke the story of Spatucci’s arrest this morning: Ex-boyfriend charged in murder of Waldwick woman
It also had the first account of the killing: Bergen prosecutor: Waldwick woman, 23, was strangled
(TOP: Bergen County Jail booking photo, Facebook photos, mugshot courtesy BCPO: bottom right)
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