BRANCHBURG — Speaking in a low, barely-audible voice, Ezra Simon-Daniels made his first appearance in Somerset County Superior Court Tuesday after being charged with two counts of murder in the bludgeoning deaths of his grandparents.
Simon-Daniels, 20, entered the courtroom with his hands cuffed in front of him. The slightly-built and youthful-looking Simon Daniels kept his head down and closed his eyes for much of the hearing while a Somerset County Sheriff's officer stood within with a foot of him.
Simon-Daniels is accused of beating Louis Simon, 78, and Beatrice Simon, 65, to death with a baseball bat in the Branchburg home they shared. The couple was found dead in their bed early Saturday.
During his first court appearance Tuesday, Simon-Daniels quietly responded "yes" when asked by Superior Court Judge Kathy C. Qasim if he is a U.S. citizen and if he understands English. He said "no" when asked if he wanted the complaint against him read in open court. Simon-Daniels was appointed a public defender and will have a plea hearing at a future date.
Assistant prosecutor Lauren Martinez represented the state at the first appearance.
The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office confirmed Tuesday that Louis Simon, 78, and his wife, Beatrice Simon, 65, were the victims. Capt. Jack Bennett, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, also confirmed that the elderly couple is Simon-Daniels' grandparents and that he lived with them.
Photos: Authorities investigate scene of double homicide
Authorities investigate a double homicide in Branchburg. A suspect has been arrested. Saturday, February, 13, 2016 (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
Police recovered the aluminum baseball bat believed used in the killing at the top of the stairs in the Readington Road home.
Simon-Daniels was arrested Saturday after making a "distraught" 911 call at approximately 5:57 a.m. from the parking lot of a Hunterdon County Wal-Mart.
Readington Township police found Simon-Daniels in the driver's seat of a vehicle covered in blood. He was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, but no shoes, according to an affidavit released Tuesday.
Couple attacked with baseball bat
A 20-year-old Branchburg man has been charged in the killings, authorities say.
Branchburg and Readington police responded to the residence and found the couple dead in the bedroom of their home. Both suffered "significant" blunt force trauma to their heads, authorities said.
Simon-Daniels has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a weapon. He is currently being held in Somerset County Jail on $2 million bail.
