Manalapan Man Indicted In Diner Killing Of Senior Citizen

MANALAPAN, NJ - A Manalapan man who fatally injured a senior citizen outside a Lacey diner in 2020 has been indicted by an Ocean County grand jury in the slaying, authorities said.

Edward Chandler, 54, was charged with aggravated manslaughter in connection with the death of Manchester resident Robert Clarke, 78.

Prosecutors say the Manalapan resident struck Clarke with a closed fist following a Sept. 30, 2020 argument inside the diner between members of a motorcycle club, with the blow resulting in “severe head trauma” for the 78-year-old.

At approximately 7:30 p.m. that evening, officers from the Lacey Township Police Department found Clarke unconscious and bleeding at the scene, authorities said. Clarke was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center where he was pronounced dead early the next morning.

If convicted, Chandler would face up to 30 years in prison. He was released from jail in October after a county judge read letters in support of the Manalapan resident. Read more: Manalapan Man Charged In Fatal Diner Fight Released From Jail