Killing of Eddie Werner
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Jackson Township, New Jersey
| Killing of Eddie Werner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | 40°05′27″N 74°21′41″W / 40.090928°N 74.361269°W Jackson Township, New Jersey |
| Date | September 27, 1997 |
Attack type | Murder |
| Victim | Eddie Werner |
| Perpetrator | Sam Manzie |
On September 27, 1997, 15-year-old Sam Manzie raped and killed 11-year-old Eddie Werner after the two met by chance in Jackson Township, New Jersey.[1][2][3][4]
In August 1996, Sam Manzie began a relationship with 43-year-old gay man Stephen Simmons, after having met him on the internet. They first met in person at the Freehold Raceway Mall, with Manzie being driven there by his father. There, Simmons stated, they ate together and mutually fondled while watching Phenomenon in the theater. Simmons met Manzie three more times afterwards. According to Simmons, Manzie said that he had fantasized about raping a younger boy, to which he replied "Sam, you gotta get help." He also stated that "Ever since [Manzie] was 12 and a half, he wanted to go to bed with an older man. Well, I was the older man. I was the fantasy."[5]
In August of the following year, New Jersey prosecutors began secretly talking to Simmons through Manzie, in taped conversations, in order to build a criminal case against him. Manzie ultimately destroyed the tapes and said he would no longer participate in the investigation. He said that he had been bullied by the investigators, taken out of a psychiatric clinic against his will and threatened with the prospect of being arrested.[2][4][6][5] On September 24, three days before the murder, his parents attempted to commit him to a psychiatric facility due to his violent outbursts.[7][8][9]
Incident
On September 27, 1997, 11-year-old Eddie Werner left his house in order to raise funds for a school project. He arrived at Manzie's home in the morning, while Manzie's parents were out. According to prosecutors, the encounter was by chance and Manzie did not know Werner. There, investigators said, Manzie raped and strangled Werner to death, and later hid his body in a suitcase.[6][10]