SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ — Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer has announced that 41-year-old Anthony Collins of Seaside Heights has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The plea was entered before the Honorable Guy P. Ryan, P.J.Cr.P., regarding the death of 70-year-old Robert May, also of Seaside Heights. The incident occurred on October 1, 2023, in Seaside Heights, and sentencing is set for August 9, 2024, with the State seeking a three-year term in New Jersey State Prison, as mandated by the No Early Release Act.
The case stems from an incident on September 18, 2023, when Seaside Heights Police responded to a report of a fall victim near Central Avenue and Sumner Avenue. They discovered May with injuries from a head laceration next to his bicycle. Although initially refusing further medical treatment, May’s condition worsened after returning home, leading to his hospitalization at Community Medical Center and later transfer to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where he died from his injuries on October 1.
Further investigation linked the injuries sustained by May to an assault by Collins, which resulted in May falling and striking his head. This led to Collins’ arrest following a warrant issued on October 4, 2023, after which he surrendered to police and has been in custody at Ocean County Jail.
Prosecutor Billhimer noted that “certain proof problems” in the case led to a plea agreement below the typical sentencing range for manslaughter, a resolution supported by the victim’s family. He praised the family’s forgiving nature and their support of the plea deal.