New Jersey police sergeant facing charges in connection to double murder-suicide investigation
A New Jersey police sergeant is facing charges in connection to the investigation into a double murder-suicide over the summer.
Franklin Township Police Sgt. Kevin Bollaro is accused of misconduct and tampering with records in the investigation into multiple reports of gunshots and screaming on Upper Kingtown Road on Aug. 1, the Hunterdon County prosecutor's office announced Thursday.
Lauren Semanchik, 33, and Tyler Webb, 29, were found dead from gunshot wounds at Semanchik's home on Upper Kingtown Road on Aug. 2.
Investigators later determined both had been fatally shot by Semanchik's ex-boyfriend, New Jersey State Police Lt. Ricardo Santos. Santos, 45, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his vehicle about an hour away from Semanchik's home.
Sergeant allegedly went to ATM instead of immediately responding to call
According to the county prosecutor's office, the Franklin Township Police Department received a call just after 7 p.m. on Aug. 1 reporting gunshots and screaming on Upper Kingtown Road.
The prosecutor's office says a dispatcher relayed the information to Bollaro, who was the on-duty officer, and he acknowledged the transmission, but GPS and surveillance footage shows Bollaro then drove in the opposite direction to a bank, where he conducted a personal ATM transaction.
About five minutes later, a second 911 caller reported gunshots and screaming in the same area, officials say. The dispatcher passed the information along to Bollaro, who was still at the ATM, according to the prosecutor's office.
Bollaro then drove to Upper Kingtown Road, but he did not activate his police vehicle's emergency lights or siren, the prosecutor's office said.
A third 911 caller also reported gunshots and screaming on Upper Kingtown Road a few minutes later, and Bollaro acknowledged the information, officials say.
Sergeant did not speak to 911 callers, investigators say
According to the prosecutor's office, about 17 minutes passed between the time the first 911 call was placed and Bollaro's arrival at the home on Upper Kingtown Road.
The prosecutor's office said GPS data shows Bollaro remained there for about four to six minutes, but he did not activate his body-worn camera, so it is unclear if or how long he spoke to the 911 caller at that location. According to officials, the first 911 caller's home is located just under 600 feet away from the home where Semanchik and Webb were killed.
Bollaro then told dispatch he didn't hear anything on Upper Kingtown Road, so he was going to continue on to White Bridge Road, where the second 911 caller was located, officials say. A few minutes later, he asked dispatch to be cleared from the scene.
The prosecutor's office says their investigation determined Bollaro did not speak to the second or third 911 callers and he did not stop on White Bridge Road to investigate.
About 12 minutes passed from the time Bollaro arrived at the home of the first 911 caller to when he cleared his investigative involvement, officials say.
Bollaro then allegedly went to a pizza shop for about 50 minutes.
The prosecutor's office says in his investigation report, Bollaro falsely stated he was "unable to make contact with the caller from White Bridge Road" and claimed to be canvassing the area during the time he was driving to the pizza shop.
Accusations from victim's family
In a statement, Bollaro's attorney called the murders of Semanchik and Webb tragic, saying, in part, "Nothing Kevin Bollaro did or did not do that day impacted or could have stopped that tragedy in any way."
"Sgt. Kevin Bollaro has faithfully served that community for nearly 25 years [and] is not guilty of anything related to this horrendous killing. This prosecution is unfortunate," the attorney wrote, in part.
Bollaro was placed on administrative leave after the county prosecutor's office took over the police department, along with Franklin Township Police Chief Timothy Snyder
If convicted, he could face five to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. He is due to appear in court on Nov. 5.
Attorneys for Semanchik's family released a statement saying, "The Semanchik and Webb families are shocked at Sgt. Bollaro's egregious conduct as charged by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor. We believe this to be the tip of the iceberg of the many failures by the local and state police which will be uncovered and which led to the murders of Lauren and Tyler."
In August, Semanchik's family announced plans to sue both local and state police, alleging they failed to act after Semanchik raised red flags.
Her family has said Santos stalked her after they broke up and that she tried to reach out to police about filing a report or getting a restraining order, but she never heard back.
CBS News New York reached out to Franklin Township Police and the New Jersey State Police. Franklin Township had no comment, and State Police have not yet responded.
