A Monmouth County jury has found Carlos I. Menjivar, of Long Branch, guilty on all counts, for the 2013 double murder of a couple found dead in a Sairs Avenue apartment.
Officials say Carlos I. Menjivar, 26, was originally charged with two counts of first degree Murder, one count of third degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose and one count of fourth degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.
The investigation began after Maria Catejo-Munoz, 35, of Long Branch, was reported missing around noon on Sunday, March 24, prompting a search for her whereabouts. The search led Long Branch Police to the Sairs Avenue apartment of Fredis O. Ventura, 33, who was romantically involved with Catejo-Munoz, around 4 p.m. on March 25, 2013. The pair were discovered dead inside the apartment.
Authorities subsequently arrested Menjivar following a joint investigation by the the MCPONJ with the Long Branch Police Department and Monmouth County Sheriff's Office.
The case was prosecuted by AP's Paul Alexander and Ian Brater.