TOMS RIVER – A judge ordered William Garvin of Barnegat to remain jailed after describing the alleged strangulation of his wife as “a deeply personal method of killing the victim” and finding that no release conditions would adequately protect others or ensure his return to court.
Garvin appeared by video from the Ocean County Jail for his detention hearing before Superior Court Judge Pamela M. Snyder. He is charged with first-degree murder in the September 7 death of his wife, Eileen Garvin, at the couple’s Windward Drive home. He has not been convicted and is presumed innocent.
Snyder found that the legal presumption favoring detention in a murder case had not been overcome. Garvin’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 5 at 9 a.m. before Superior Court Judge Kenneth Palmer.
State Describes Alleged Strangulation
Ocean County Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Alyssa Mandara said police responded to the Garvin home following a report of a domestic dispute. Officers used a key to enter the locked residence and found Garvin seated on a couch with a knife protruding from his chest, according to the prosecution.
Eileen was found on the floor nearby. Mandara said Garvin removed the knife when officers entered and allegedly told them, “That’s my wife. I killed her.”
An autopsy determined that Eileen died from manual strangulation and smothering and classified her death as a homicide. The state also alleged that Garvin left a note apologizing to his family and sent apologetic text messages to one of his adult daughters.
Mandara said Eileen had filed for divorce approximately two months before her death. On the day she died, the couple allegedly argued after she drained a fishpond at the home. Garvin allegedly pushed his wife and then strangled her after she indicated she was going to call police.
The prosecutor also pointed to a prior domestic violence call in February 2024, when Garvin allegedly screamed at Eileen and threatened to punch her head into a wall. Defense attorney Megan Chase later noted that the earlier incident did not result in criminal charges or a restraining order.
“This was a homicide by strangulation, manual strangulation,” Mandara said. “This is not a situation where the defendant pulled a trigger in a split-second decision. This is a defendant who put his hands directly on his wife of over two decades and kept her from breathing with his own hands until she died.”
Mandara continued, “This means that this defendant made the choice over and over again for as long as it took for him to kill her while he kept his hands on her.”
The prosecutor said Garvin allegedly told officers that his wife was dead, that he had killed her and that “she deserved it.” He also allegedly yelled to neighbors, “I killed my wife.”
Defense Sought Strict Home Detention
Chase disputed whether the state had established that Garvin purposely or knowingly caused his wife’s death. She said the defense plans to challenge the admissibility of statements he allegedly made before police advised him of his rights.
Chase asked the judge to release Garvin under strict home detention. He would have been allowed to leave his residence only for court appearances and scheduled meetings with his attorney, with Pretrial Services monitoring his compliance through unannounced video calls.
Chase said Garvin has no criminal record, prior convictions or history of domestic violence restraining orders. His Public Safety Assessment gave him the lowest possible scores for the risk of failing to appear in court and committing new criminal activity.
“As he sits here today, Mr. Garvin is an innocent man,” Chase said. “In fact, he is more than just an innocent man. He is a proud father, a loving grandfather, and most importantly, a human being.”
Chase said Garvin has lived in Ocean County since 1983, worked as a copier technician for 43 years and has three adult children and three grandchildren. She argued that his community ties, record and eligibility for strict home detention provided sufficient safeguards.
Daughters Wanted Their Father Jailed
Mandara told the court that Garvin and Eileen’s two adult daughters wanted their father to remain incarcerated. She said one of the daughters feared for herself and her family and did not want contact with him.
“At least one child has indicated that she is in fear for her safety, for herself and her family if this defendant is released,” Snyder said. “And both children have indicated that they would like the defendant to remain incarcerated.”
At the daughter’s request, Snyder prohibited Garvin from contacting her, her spouse or her child in person, by mail, electronically, by telephone or through another person. The defense did not object.
Judge Finds Jail Necessary
Snyder acknowledged Garvin’s lack of a criminal history and low risk scores but said they did not outweigh the violent nature of the charge, the evidence presented, his daughters’ concerns and the potential sentence.
The judge repeated the state’s allegation that Garvin became upset after his wife drained the fishpond, pushed her into a door and strangled her after she threatened to call police.
If convicted of murder, Garvin would face 30 years without parole to life in prison. Snyder said that given his age, even the minimum sentence would essentially amount to life imprisonment and could create a risk that he would not return to court.
“For the reasons set forth by this court, the court does find that the rebuttable presumption of detention has not been overcome,” Snyder said.
Community Remembers Eileen
Eileen Garvin, 69, spent approximately 14 years working for the Barnegat Township School District, first as a school bus aide and later as a driver. Parents and coworkers remembered her as a caring and familiar presence who transported local children to and from school.
A GoFundMe campaign organized by Diane Lundy seeks to help Eileen’s children with legal and estate-related costs, household bills and other expenses.
“Eileen spent years helping care for our community’s children,” the fundraiser states. “Now it is our turn to help care for hers.”
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