A New Jersey police chief and sergeant were placed on leave and their department was taken over by a county prosecutor’s office amid concerns over their investigation of an apparent double murder-suicide in which a state police sergeant killed his ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend before taking his own life, officials said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
On Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office (HCPO) announced they had superseded the Franklin Township Police Department and would supervise the daily operations of the department until further notice.
Franklin Township Police Chief Timothy Snyder and Franklin Township Police Sergeant Kevin Bollaro were both placed on administrative leave by Franklin Township officials. HCPO interim Officer-in-Charge Captain Paul Approvato will manage Franklin Township Police in the meantime, officials said.
An HCPO spokesperson said there were “serious concerns” about the Franklin Township Police Department’s “operations and effectiveness” following their investigation of the murders of Dr. Lauren Semanchik, 33, of Pittstown, New Jersey, and Tyler Webb, 29, of Forked River, New Jersey.
On Saturday, Aug. 2, around 12:20 p.m., police responded to a report of an unconscious woman inside a home on Upper Kingtown Road in the Pittstown section of Franklin Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
When police arrived, they found the bodies of Dr. Semanchik and Webb inside the home. They were both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
Investigators learned that Hunterdon County Communications initially received 911 calls the day before on Friday, Aug. 1, reporting the sounds of gunshots and screaming from the home. When Franklin Township Police responded Friday however, they couldn’t find the source of the gunshots or screaming, officials said.
Investigators then learned that Dr. Semanchik, a local veterinarian, and Webb had recently began dating. Dr. Semanchik had previously dated Ricardo Jorge Santos, a New Jersey State Police sergeant, but ended their relationship in September 2024. Before her death, Dr. Semanchik accused Santos of harassing her and controlling behavior, investigators said. Detectives then identified Santos as a suspect in the double murder.
Detectives later learned Santos was found dead inside a white 2008 Mercedes SUV in Johnson Park in Piscataway, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Investigators determined he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and his death was ruled a suicide. Investigators also said they found a semiautomatic handgun inside the vehicle.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
Police then reviewed surveillance video that Dr. Semanchik had installed inside her vehicle. The footage shows Dr. Semanchik’s vehicle leaving her workplace in Long Valley, Morris County, New Jersey, on Aug. 1, around 5:25 p.m. The footage from the back of her vehicle then shows a white 2008 Mercedes SUV leaving a parking lot and closely following Dr. Semanchik from Long Valley to Upper Kingtown Road in Pittstown until she enters her driveaway shortly before 6 p.m. Then around 6:10 p.m. that evening, a person is spotted walking through a wooded area along the driveway leading to the home. Around 6:45 p.m. that night, Webb’s vehicle arrives at the home and parks next to Dr. Semanchik’s vehicle, the footage shows.
Detectives determined the white 2008 Mercedes SUV then traveled to Piscataway, New Jersey, later that night.
The Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office continues to investigate the double homicide but said that nothing suggests any danger to the public.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of Dr. Lauren Semanchik and Tyler Webb, whose lives were tragically taken in an act of domestic violence. This senseless and devastating loss has deeply affected our entire community,” Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée Robeson said. “Considering the suspect’s subsequent suicide, we recognize that many questions remain, and healing will take time. While justice in the legal sense may not proceed, our commitment to supporting survivors and preventing future tragedies remains unwavering.”
If you have any information on the investigation, please call Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Sergeant David Petelle or Detective Quayshaun Brooks at 908-788-1129. You can also contact the Hunterdon County Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-800-321-0010.
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