A New Jersey man has been accused of murdering his wife of nearly 40 years with a barbell due to his “long-simmering hatred” of her. Police also said that he was having an affair with a woman from Central America.
Michael A. Kless, 67, has been charged with the first-degree murder of his wife, Stacy E. Kless, 66, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said. Kless has also been charged with fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, cops responded around 9:30 a.m. to a house on Seward Drive, Ocean Township, after two separate calls to 911 reported a murder, according to a press release issued by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. The Ocean Township police found the victim “obviously deceased” in the basement, with a barbell across her neck and throat area.
An Ocean Township man was charged with killing his wife. Now, he is in critical condition after being found unresponsive at a rest stop.https://t.co/Mnq0GApUbY
67-year-old Michael A. Kless is facing charges of first-degree murder and third and fourth-degree weapons offenses in pic.twitter.com/iwKus1Yogz— N' Cuffs (@NCuffs1) May 30, 2026
The Asbury Park Press got its hands on the probable cause arrest warrant, which revealed that the accused, Kless, allegedly sent text messages to their adult children confessing to killing his wife. He also told them that he planned to die by suicide with prescription pills. The accused also reportedly sent an email to another person detailing the crime.
The warrant states that the email reportedly revealed the accused’s “long-simmering hatred” for his wife, and his new affair with a woman from Central America. It reportedly also included details about the murder. Police said those details were consistent with the evidence found at the crime scene.
Investigators on the case also learned that almost half an hour before the 911 calls were made, a work crew had arrived at the Kless house for a scheduled repair. Asbury Park Press reports that, per the affidavit, workers told investigators that Kless refused them entry and requested to reschedule the appointment. They reportedly also noticed scratches and blood on his face.
Two 911 calls came in back to back – both about a possible homicide happening inside a home on Seward Drive in Monmouth County. When officers got there, they found 66-year-old Stacy E. Kless unresponsive inside the residence and pronounced her dead right there on the scene. The pic.twitter.com/nyYPqNJoXx
— Demure Demure🦋💕 (@IncidentUpdate_) May 30, 2026
According to the press release by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, police identified the victim’s husband as a suspect in the case. They later found him unconscious inside his vehicle at a rest stop along the Garden State Parkway.
Emergency responders transported him to a hospital nearby, where he remains in critical condition at the time of writing. Despite being hospitalized, the suspect is technically under the custody of the Monmouth County Jail.
Michael Kless and his now deceased wife, Stacy Kless, were married for 39 years and had two children and grandchildren, as per the Asbury Park Press.
Ocean Township Mayor John P. Napolitani, Sr., told the outlet that the murder has left the community “blindsided.” “Nobody saw this coming,” Napolitani said. “There was not a clue this was going to happen.”
