September 06, 2022
Kat Wilcox/Pexels
Juaquan Fitzgerald, 33, of Philadelphia, has been charged with the murder of 27-year-old Duane Banks, whose body was found in 2020 near the woods in Franklin Township, New Jersey.
A Philadelphia man has been charged for the killing of a 27-year-old man whose body was found near the woods in Franklin Township in 2020, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday.
Juaquan S. Fitzgerald, 33, was charged with first-degree murder, unlawfully disturbing human remains, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and related offenses.
On April 29, 2020, police were called to a home on Park Street around 6:30 p.m. for a report of suspicious activity. When they arrived, a group of people told them they found a man's body in the woods behind their house. An autopsy identified the man as Duane S. Banks, prosecutors said.
After a follow-up investigation, Somerset's Major Crimes Unit and Franklin police were led to Fitzgerald, who was arrested on Aug. 31 with help from the Philadelphia Police Department.
Authorities did not release a motive for Banks' death or how he was killed. The investigation remains ongoing.
Fitzgerald is being held at Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia. He will be transported to New Jersey following his initial hearing.
Police and prosecutors in Somerset ask that anyone with any information about Banks' death contact the major crimes unit at (908) 231-7100 or the Franklin police at (732) 873-5533.
