The family of a 2025 suicide victim is suing Howell Township police and Monmouth County jail officials, alleging authorities failed to act on clear warning signs and did not follow required procedures to protect him.
According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed in Monmouth County Superior Court, Diane and Gerard Framolaro claim their son, Jeremy Framolaro, died on Feb. 24, 2025, shortly after being taken into custody and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township.
The lawsuit alleges that officers from Howell Township Police Department were aware of explicit suicidal statements prior to transporting Framolaro to the jail. Specifically, it claims officers saw a message on his phone stating, “I’m not in my right mind. I’m down for suicide by car. I can’t wait until it happens,” and referenced it in a probable cause affidavit tied to his arrest.
Despite this, the suit contends officers did not take him for a mental health evaluation, which the family argues is required under state law, as well as guidelines issued by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and local departmental policies.
The complaint further alleges that staff at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution failed to follow protocols for detainees expressing suicidal ideation. According to the filing, Framolaro was not placed under appropriate supervision and was given access to a bedsheet, which he used to hang himself.
“The failure to protect Plaintiff from suicide… deprived him of his substantive due process rights,” the lawsuit states.
Named as defendants are Howell Township Police Chief John Storrow, Officers David Jimerson, Joseph Pipher, and Matthew Lawler; Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden; jail Warden Victor Iannello; and unidentified corrections officers.
The lawsuit does not specify the reason for Framolaro’s arrest, and no public records of the arrest were immediately available. The family is seeking unspecified damages, including funeral expenses.
