Last Hopewell murder occurred 13 years ago

HOPEWELL TWP >> The quiet township of Hopewell sits in a beautiful setting, surrounded by the Delaware River and wooded areas. Murder is rare. But before Tuesday’s homicide, the last murder to occur in Hopewell gained national attention for its gossipy story line and juicy details.

On Jan. 16, 2004, 34-yearold Michelle Nyce was found in her SUV off the roadway in Jacobs Creek.

Nyce had been carrying out an affair with her lover, the landscaper, whom she met up with after leaving work.

Prosectors said Jonathan Nyce then bashed in his wife’s head by smashing it into the concrete floor of the at their $1 million Hopewell Township home after she came home at 2 in the morning smelling of the perfume she splashed on after a sex tryst with her lover

Jonathan Nyce, a research scientist, then tried to cover up the murder by staging the crash scene by putting his dead wife’s body back in her SUV and rolling it down an embankment.

The husband was charged with first-degree murder, but with the help of defense lawyer Robin Lord, Jonathan Nyce was only found guilty of passion-provocation manslaughter and tampering with evidence.

He was sentenced to eight years for the slaying, but was let out after only five years after killing his Filipina wife, whom he met through a mail-order bride service in the early 1990s.

Former Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini called Jonathan Nyce “the luckiest S-O-B in the world” after he was handed the eight-year sentence.

Time will tell if Tuesday’s homicide will be as interesting as prosecutors are expected to release more details on Thursday.