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August 9, 2024
Seaside Heights Man Receives Prison Sentence for Manslaughter
According to the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, Anthony Collins, 41, of Seaside Heights, was sentenced to three years in New Jersey State Prison on August 8, 2024 for having previously entered a guilty plea to manslaughter in connection with the death of Robert May, 70, of Seaside Heights, on October 1, 2023, in the Borough of Seaside Heights.
Collins' sentence will be governed by the provisions of the No Early Release Act, which mandates that he serve a minimum of 85% of his jail term before being eligible for parole. On June 10, 2024, Collins entered a guilty plea to the accusation before Judge Ryan.
Officers from the Seaside Heights Police Department responded to a complaint of a fall victim at the intersection of Central Avenue and Sumner Avenue on September 18, 2023, at around 4:00 p.m.
The male victim, subsequently identified as Robert May, was discovered by responding officers lying on the ground close to his bicycle.
It was seen that Mr. May was bleeding from a cut on his head. After receiving basic medical attention on the spot and declining more care, Mr. May departed the area and went back to his home.
The Seaside Heights Police Department's inquiry afterwards showed that Mr. May had been beaten by someone else, which had knocked him from his bike and hit his head on the sidewalk.
After receiving reports that Mr. May had been acting strangely since his fall on September 18, 2023, at five o'clock in the evening, the Seaside Heights Police Department had Mr. May taken by the Tri-Boro First Aid Squad from his residence to Community Medical Center in Toms River.
After Mr. May's health worsened even worse, he was moved to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. October 1, 2023 was Mr. May's death date from his wounds.
The Ocean County Medical Examiner's Office performed a post-mortem examination on that date and found that Mr. May died from blunt force injuries sustained during the assault that happened in Seaside Heights on September 18, 2023, and that his death was caused by homicide.
The Major Crime Unit of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and the Seaside Heights Police Department conducted a continued investigation and found that Collins was, in fact, the one who had attacked Mr. May on September 18th, which ultimately led to his death.
On October 4, 2023, Collins' name was added to the National Crime Information Center database and an arrest warrant was issued. Collins turned himself in at the Seaside Heights Police Department Headquarters on October 15, 2023. After then, he was taken to the
Ocean County Jail and has remained there ever since.
“Certain proof problems in this case resulted in the State entering into a plea agreement calling for a sentence that is below the normal sentencing range for manslaughter,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated. “The victim’s family was cognizant of those issues, and supported this resolution. I commend them for their understanding and forgiving nature,” Prosecutor Billhimer concluded.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Julie Peterson, and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Seaside Heights Police Department Detective Bureau, Seaside Heights Police Department, Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office, and United States Marshals Service, for their collaborative assistance in connection with this investigation, leading to Collins’ arrest, guilty plea, and now his state prison sentence.
