By: Richard L. Smith
A Union County Grand Jury has indicted four men in connection with the death of a Union Township woman in May 2024, according to Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Union Police Director Christopher Donnelly.
The four individuals—Jeremyh Joseph Charles, 27, Marvin Joseph Charles, 38, Kern Charles, 65, all from Union, and Timothee Joseph Charles, 31, from Tuxedo Park, NY—were charged with aggravated manslaughter on October 9.
Officials said on May 10, 2024, Union police officers responded to a welfare check at a residence on the 300 block of Greenbriar Drive.
Upon arrival, they discovered 28-year-old Kerline Joseph Charles, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Cho, the Union County Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death as cardiac arrest following physical restraint and compressional asphyxia.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force, in collaboration with the Union Police Department, conducted a comprehensive investigation that led to the indictment of the four men.
All suspects were arrested without incident on October 10, 2024, and are currently being held in Essex County Jail pending a detention hearing.
The investigation remains ongoing.