On February 13, 2023, the Westwood Police Department intervened to perform a Wellness check on the resident Mark Winter, 76 in Westwood, NJ. Officers met Winter at his front door and later he permitted the officers into his home. As the officers entered the home, one of the officers noticed the remains of Joan Winters, 70, who lived with her brother Mark Winter. After the discovery of her remains, Winter became aggravated and assault the officers.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit investigated with the Westwood Police Department which revealed that Winter obscured his sister’s remains in his home. Mark Winter was charged with second-degree desecration of human remains and two counts of fourth-degree aggravated assault on law enforcement officer.
He was incarcerated in the Bergen County Jail waiting for his first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack, NJ. All persons are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
