Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced today that Harry Bray, Jr., a 37-year-old resident of Manchester, New Jersey, has pled guilty to attempted murder in connection with a violent incident that occurred on the evening of January 5, 2023. Bray entered the plea before Judge Kenneth T. Palmer, J.S.C., and is scheduled for sentencing on January 17, 2025, where the State will pursue an 18-year prison term under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, which mandates that certain offenders serve at least 85% of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole.
The crime unfolded around 5:30 p.m. on January 5, 2023, when a Brick Township Police Officer conducting a routine check off Cherry Quay Road noticed a vehicle with two flat tires in a parking lot. Upon approaching, the officer discovered a woman lying on the ground nearby, suffering from multiple stab wounds. The victim was immediately transported to a local hospital, where she received treatment for her injuries and was later released.
Following an extensive investigation led by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, along with the Brick Township Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, authorities identified Bray as the suspect responsible for the brutal assault. Later that evening, detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Brick Township Police Department apprehended Bray in Manchester Township without incident. Since his arrest, he has remained in custody at the Ocean County Jail.