Matawan Man Pleads Guilty to Killing His Own Father, Hiding Body in Basement

Matawan Man Pleads Guilty to Killing His Own Father, Hiding Body in Basement
Judge in the courtroom. Male judge striking the gavel.

FREEHOLD, NJ – Kenneth H. Knapp Jr., a 32-year-old resident of Matawan, admitted to the first-degree Aggravated Manslaughter of his father, Kenneth Knapp Sr., in a hearing at Monmouth County Superior Court.

On May 1, 2022, Matawan Police Department officers conducted a welfare check at the victim’s home, finding his body concealed in the basement.

The collaborative investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and Matawan Police revealed that Knapp Jr. assaulted and killed his father a week prior to the discovery.

He was apprehended on August 19, 2022.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 18, with the state recommending a 25-year prison term for the manslaughter charge and an additional five years for Desecration of Human Remains.