City man charged in murder
BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH — A city man is facing charges for the murder of a 54-yearold woman who was found dead in her Long Branch apartment last week.

Police arrested and charged John L. Erving, 42, with one count of murder on Aug. 10 for the death of Long Branch resident Nikki Leake, according to police reports.

On Aug. 8 at approximately 8:10 a.m., the Long Branch Police Department received a 911 call reporting a deceased female in a New Street apartment. Police responded to the residence and observed Leake's lifeless body on a couch, according to reports.

Since that time, the victim's death has been the subject of a joint investigation conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Long Branch Police Department.

The preliminary investigation revealed that Erving was the last person seen with the victim prior to her death, authorities said.

Further investigation revealed that Erving and the victim had returned to her apartment on the evening of Aug. 7, following which Erving allegedly stabbed the victim repeatedly, causing her death, authorities said.

An autopsy was conducted by the Monmouth County Medical Examiner's Office on Aug. 9, which determined that the victim's death was homicidal in nature and the cause of death was sharp force trauma, according to reports.

Erving is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township in lieu of $2 million bail.

"Police are continuing to pursue all leads regarding the circumstances surrounding the victim's death," Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin said.

Valentin is requesting that any member of the public with information regarding the matter contact Detective Richard Chapman of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office at 800-533-7443 or Long Branch Detective Michael Verdadeiro at 732-222-1000.