FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, NJ - The Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office has placed the chief of the Franklin Township Police Department and a sergeant on leave due to "serious concerns" about their actions following the killing of Lauren Semanchik and her boyfriend, Tyler Webb.
The prosecutor's office took over less than a week after New Jersey State Lt. Ricardo Santos shot and killed Semanchik, 33, and Webb at her home, the New York Post reported. According to police, Santos then drove 50 miles and took his own life.
The local police department, which lists fewer than 10 employees online, has faced immense backlash as more details about the horrific crime emerge. Franklin police responded to the home on a report of gunshots around 7:10 p.m. on Friday August 1st, but didn't find the bodies.
Instead, the bodies were discovered the next day by Semanchik's father, according to prosecutors. A couple that lived near the home alleged to ABC7 that a police car pulled up about 10 minutes after they called 911, but said the police didn't drive up the driveway of the home.
Semanchik's sister also said that in May, her sibling wanted to file a restraining order against Santos, who kept harassing her, but when she went to the Franklin police station, she didn't get any help. Instead, she was told to call a number, but when she reached out, she never heard back.
The prosecutor's office said that Franklin Police Chief Timothy Snyder and Sgt. Kevin Bollaro were placed on leave and said that he would "supervise day-to-day operations of FTPD until further notice."
"HCPO has determined that supersession of FTPD is immediately necessary following its active investigation into the homicides in the Pittstown section of Franklin Township ... which has raised serious concerns about FTPD's operations and effectiveness," the prosecutor's office said.
New Jersey State Police, which employed Santos, is also reportedly facing questions over whether their lieutenant displayed any signs of instability. Santos once worked as a security detail for Governor Phil Murphy and was most recently working protection in the Attorney General's Office.
Those close to Semanchik said that Santos relentlessly harassed and stalked his ex-girlfriend for months after the pair broke up in September 2024. In the week since Semanchik and Webb passed, tributes continue to pour in. Webb was remembered in his obituary as a "man of integrity and grit ... A fine blend of respect and rowdy."
"He was always helping anyone in need, and through his kindness, he has touched countless lives and brought many groups of strangers together to become friends," the obituary stated.
On Semanchik's remembrance page, friends recalled her as a loving and caring person. "Lauren truly was, and will always be, like an older sister to me," one mourner wrote. "The light that she brought to the world beams in many of my earliest memories. Throughout my formative years, I was blessed to be in her presence and to watch her grow as well."
The prosecutor's office took over less than a week after New Jersey State Lt. Ricardo Santos shot and killed Semanchik, 33, and Webb at her home, the New York Post reported. According to police, Santos then drove 50 miles and took his own life.
The local police department, which lists fewer than 10 employees online, has faced immense backlash as more details about the horrific crime emerge. Franklin police responded to the home on a report of gunshots around 7:10 p.m. on Friday August 1st, but didn't find the bodies.
Instead, the bodies were discovered the next day by Semanchik's father, according to prosecutors. A couple that lived near the home alleged to ABC7 that a police car pulled up about 10 minutes after they called 911, but said the police didn't drive up the driveway of the home.
Semanchik's sister also said that in May, her sibling wanted to file a restraining order against Santos, who kept harassing her, but when she went to the Franklin police station, she didn't get any help. Instead, she was told to call a number, but when she reached out, she never heard back.
The prosecutor's office said that Franklin Police Chief Timothy Snyder and Sgt. Kevin Bollaro were placed on leave and said that he would "supervise day-to-day operations of FTPD until further notice."
"HCPO has determined that supersession of FTPD is immediately necessary following its active investigation into the homicides in the Pittstown section of Franklin Township ... which has raised serious concerns about FTPD's operations and effectiveness," the prosecutor's office said.
New Jersey State Police, which employed Santos, is also reportedly facing questions over whether their lieutenant displayed any signs of instability. Santos once worked as a security detail for Governor Phil Murphy and was most recently working protection in the Attorney General's Office.
Those close to Semanchik said that Santos relentlessly harassed and stalked his ex-girlfriend for months after the pair broke up in September 2024. In the week since Semanchik and Webb passed, tributes continue to pour in. Webb was remembered in his obituary as a "man of integrity and grit ... A fine blend of respect and rowdy."
"He was always helping anyone in need, and through his kindness, he has touched countless lives and brought many groups of strangers together to become friends," the obituary stated.
On Semanchik's remembrance page, friends recalled her as a loving and caring person. "Lauren truly was, and will always be, like an older sister to me," one mourner wrote. "The light that she brought to the world beams in many of my earliest memories. Throughout my formative years, I was blessed to be in her presence and to watch her grow as well."
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