This story is a cautionary tale of what can happen when "Fatal Attraction" meets Sugar Daddy arrangements. I'm not completely versed on the sugar daddy/sugar baby lifestyle, but I believe a "sugar daddy" is a man of wealth who is willing to spend money on or support his "sugar baby". These seem to be May-December type relationships (I hesitate to call them romances) where a successful and wealthy man may want or need the companionship of a beautiful young lady and is willing to compensate her for her time. Doesn't seem far from the definition of prostitution, but they've invented the term to make it more marketable. Like "escort".
I'm not putting anyone down who seeks to gain financial support through a relationship - if that's your thing. I just personally think it's a bad idea to take money on an hourly basis for your emotional or physical "work". I think the first time we saw a glamorized version of this type of arrangement was in "Pretty Woman", however that was a movie with two big stars in it so it didn't seem so seedy.
Now let's talk about the crime at hand and the people involved. On August 8, 64 year old Michael McNew was found dead in his home outside of Trenton, New Jersey. He was a District Sales Manager/Pharmaceutical Executive for Chicago phama giant AbbVie. MvNew has 2 adult children and grandchildren and had been divorced for 11 years. Law enforcement weren't sure what to make of the death scene. It appeared to be staged to look like a robbery gone bad. Isn't that staging of choice by the unseasoned criminal?? I think I'd try to be a little more imaginative, but then again I'm no killer!
It didn't take long for law enforcement to discover that McNew had recently broken up with a girlfriend who had sent him some threatening messages after the breakup. 33 year old Jennifer Morrissey is a sometime dancer in the "hospitality" sector (more commonly referred to as stripper) and a motorcycle mechanic. Tattooed and with a minor rap sheet, she seemed like an unlikely match for the buttoned down District Sales Manager. Must have been a Sugar Daddy thing.
McNew and Morrissey met at a social function and began to see each other and before long, Morrissey moved herself into McNew's home. She was clearly receiving financial support but the exact nature of the relationship hasn't been detailed. The relationship was short lived - no pun intended. By August of 2017 McNew kicked Morrissey out of his home. What is believed to have been the catalyst for the killing is that McNew began to box up her belongings and was sending them to storage because he didn't want her to ever return to his home.
She sent him a number of threatening text messages which gave the police a lot to work with in pressuring her into talking.
While Morrissey was actually in jail for a probation violation when detectives met with her, she told them she hadn't been McNew's home since July 31. She did however try to implicate her new boyfriend in the murder. That's right, she attempted to throw her new 55 year old boyfriend Charles Kulow under the bus. It's unclear whether he is also a Sugar Daddy. Kulow has not been charged with any crime and is not in custody - for now.
Morrissey isn't the brightest of motorcycle mechanic/strippers. She eventually began talking without a lawyer present and told detectives that she got into a confrontation with McNew and he was shot during a struggle over the gun. "It was an accident". People are more quick to admit their involvement in a murder if they believe they can sell it as an accident. I don't know if it was murder or accidental - but her story stinks. She told detectives after McNew was killed, she took his laptop and phone and was going to bury them in the yard of new boyfriend Charles Kulow. Hmmm....doesn't seem like a terribly good idea.
In another sophomoric attempt to fool the police, Morrissey had boyfriend Kulow urinate on her hands in an attempt to rid her skin of gunshot residue and other evidence. Can you believe this? What CSI episode was that shown on, because I thought soap and water would suffice. If a man hadn't been killed it would almost be laughable the way these two attempted to cover their tracks. Morrissey is being held without bail and awaiting trial. The most damning evidence against Morrissey would seem to be the text messages recovered from her phone where she told McNew: "get the gun ready cause I'm coming. I already told you that I'll be there tonight. Guess your just going to have to shoot me or I'm going to stab you".
Another text message stated "you have a choice - touch my stuff and I cut your throat". All this over him packing her things and wanting her out? There had to be something that precipitated the breakup. There are definitely details missing here and it will be interesting to see what comes out in court documents. Just another domestic violence cautionary tale with a twist. Find yourself a regular person to have a relationship with. Anybody who pays you is technically your boss and he can fire you whenever he wants.
