Craig Montgomery charged with murder after SWAT standoff in Franklin Township

Craig Montgomery, 60, has been charged with first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose following a SWAT standoff in Franklin Township, Somerset County.

The incident began Tuesday night after police responded to a 911 call regarding loud arguing and a welfare check request at a residence on Majesty Lane. After an initial attempt to contact residents, a second urgent call prompted police to return. Montgomery informed officers he was barricaded inside and armed with a knife.

The Somerset County SWAT team arrived early Wednesday morning. Upon forcing entry through a sliding door, officers were charged by Montgomery with a knife. SWAT members subdued him using “less than lethal force.” Inside the home, authorities discovered a woman who had been stabbed in the chest and was pronounced dead. A second person in the residence was found unharmed.