On Sunday, September 20, 2020, at approximately 1:25 pm, officers from the Westville Police Department responded to 608 Broadway, Westville, Gloucester County, New Jersey for a reported unconscious person at the residence.
Upon arrival, officers discovered 53 year-old Patricia Dorman deceased inside her residence.
An autopsy conducted on Monday, September 21, 2020, by Gloucester County Medical Examiner Dr. Gerald Feigin, ruled Dorman’s cause of death as blunt force trauma and the manner of death as homicide.
Through aggressive investigation, detectives from the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and Westville Police Department worked as a team, identifying 38 year-old Westville resident Jose L. Saez, as the person responsible for the murder of Patricia Dorman.
During the afternoon of September 22, Saez was arrested in the City of Camden by members of U.S. Marshal’s NY-NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Camden County Sheriff’s Department.
Jose L. Saez is charged with the following criminal charges:
- 1 Count: Murder
- 1 Count: Felony Murder
- 1 Count: Robbery
- 1 Count: Tampering
- 1 Count: Unlawful Possession of a Weapon
- 1 Count: Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose
“The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and the Westville Police Department, under the leadership of Chief William Whinna, have been working tirelessly since the inception of this investigation. Through hard work, tenacity, and determination they promptly identified Saez as a suspect and developed key evidence linking him to the homicide. Patricia Dorman was well known by her neighbors and the cooperation and assistance from the Westville community was crucial in the arrest of Saez,” stated Acting Gloucester County Prosecutor Christine Hoffman.
Agencies assisting in and supporting this investigation and arrest include the U.S. Marshal’s NY-NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, Camden County Sheriff’s Department, Camden County Metro Police Department, Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Deptford Township Police Department, Woodbury City Police Department, and Brooklawn Police Department.
This investigation remains active and the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office encourages anyone with information regarding this homicide to contact Detective Keith Palek of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-254-2433 or Detective Eric Hibbs of the Westville Police Department at 609-374-4737.
Information can also be e-mailed to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at tips@co.gloucester.nj.us.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of their rights as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State Law.
