New Jersey retiree, Michael Manis, 71, 'suffocated his wife to death before staging elaborate violent home invasion as a cover-up'

A 71-year-old New Jersey retiree allegedly ‘suffocated his wife to death’ before staging a crime scene and telling authorities there had been a home invasion.

In Hasbrouck Heights, a suburb in Bergen County, about 15 miles outside of New York City, Michael Manis dialed 911 on Saturday evening to report that he’d come home to find his wife dead in the home they shared. 

Manis is now in police custody, facing a first-degree murder charge for killing his wife Judith.

Neighbors on the unassuming suburban street said they saw Manis speaking to investigators Saturday evening,

According to the criminal complaint, Manis later admitted to suffocating his wife with a pillow on Friday. 

Michael Manis dialed 911 on Saturday evening to report that he’d come home to find his wife dead in the home they shared

Manis is now in police custody, facing a first-degree murder charge for killing his wife Judith

The complaint says Manis then staged a home invasion, ransacking parts of the house to make it look like a robbery.

He is accused of hiding the victim’s his wife’s jewelry in a basement ceiling and dumping other valuables in a nearby dumpster behind a 7-Eleven about a mile from the couple’s marital home, where they had lived together since at least 1996.

According to police, Manis voluntarily ‘admitted to using a pillow to suffocate his wife.’

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He then ‘plotted several scenarios’ in an attempt to cover up the killing, ‘ultimately deciding to stage a home invasion.’  A motive for the alleged killing has not been released. 

Neighbors of the Manis’ said they couldn’t believe what had happened on their quiet suburban block.

‘I was really surprised. I’m surprised anywhere. I mean evil is evil. You know, it’s bad. So, it was unfortunate and sad,’ Tom Garvin told CBS.

Manis was charged Sunday with first-degree murder, second-degree desecrating human remains, hindering apprehension of oneself, and filing a false report to law enforcement.

He is accused of hiding the victim’s his wife’s jewelry in a basement ceiling and dumping other valuables in a nearby dumpster behind a 7-Eleven about a mile from the couple’s marital home, where they had lived together since at least 1996

According to the criminal complaint, Manis admitted to suffocating his wife with a pillow on Friday

‘I was really surprised. I’m surprised anywhere. I mean evil is evil. You know, it’s bad. So, it was unfortunate and sad,’ Tom Garvin told CBS

Early in the week, Hasbrouck Heights law enforcement officers were out canvassing the area for additional evidence. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office is also investigating the case.

It is unclear if the defendant has yet secured legal representation.

He was being held in jail after his arrest pending a court appearance. 

Before retiring, Manis owned Manis Lighting LLC, a contracting company based out of Jersey, which, according to Fox, was disciplined in 2014 for falsifying documents to a state clean energy incentive program.