JERSEY CITY—Family members of the Monica Montone gasped with relief when her husband, a former Jersey City police dispatcher, was convicted today of strangling his wife inside their County Village home in 2014.
“I lost my breath for a second when he said guilty,” said Jose Garcia, the brother of Monica Montone, 34, whose husband, Kevin Montone, 37, was convicted of killing her on Aug. 18, 2014.
The brother said that hearing the verdict was like “That massive shock when I heard she was dead. It was that same feeling. It will always be there but at least these last years of waiting with this hanging over out head — we can finally get past that part.”
Montone was also convicted of possession of heroin and endangering the welfare of the couple’s now 6-year-old son because bags of heroin were found scattered in their home within the child’s reach.
Montone, who still faces an unrelated robbery charge, showed no emotion upon hearing the verdict. After the jury was dismissed and the April 20 sentencing date set, he quickly removed his tie and belt. He put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed and was led from court by sheriff’s officers to await sentencing.
On Aug. 18, 2014, a man sounding distraught called 911 from the home asking for an ambulance, and emergency responders found Monica Montone dead there. Kevin Montone was taken into custody on drug charges that day and a neighbor told The Jersey Journal he appeared to be laughing uncontrollably while being placed into a police car.
It was said at trial that when the couple’s son was evaluated at the Jersey City Medical Center later that day, he said “Mommy and Daddy were fighting. Daddy hit mommy. Mommy did not wake up. Mommy died and daddy was crying.”
Montone was charged with murder in December 2014 after the medical examiner ruled that Monica Montone died of asphyxia due neck compression and that the manner of her death was homicide.
Monica Montone had drugs in her system when she died and the defense argued that she died of an overdose and that there was no homicide.
The prosecution and defense each put their own forensic pathologists on the stand during the trial. The state also presented friends of the victim who said she confided to them that her husband was physically abusive.
Once charged with murder, Kevin Montone posted a $250,000 bail. Almost 10 months later, he was charged with robbery after authorities said he grabbed a woman’s purse on Sept. 15, 2015. People came to the woman’s aid and held Montone.
Montone’s bail on the murder charge was then raised to $300,000. A $50,000 bail was added for the robbery charge and he has remained in custody ever since.
A city spokeswoman previously said that Kevin Montone was fired from his job as a dispatcher “for cause” in 2013.
Meanwhile, Garcia described her sister as charismatic and a born saleswoman who worked for Wells Fargo. He said she was very outgoing and was loved by everyone. He said her family thought she could do better than Kevin Montone but they were nice to him out of respect and love for her.
A number of Monica Montone’s family members were in court to hear the verdict and Garcia said emotions ranged from anger to relief.
“Whatever the verdict, we can never see my sister again,” he said.
The brother thanked prosecutors and detectives, saying his sister was not able to fight for herself “but they fought for her and they won for her.”
The case was handled by Hudson County assistant prosecutors Linda Claude-Oben and Kevin Roe.
Montone will be sentenced by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Patrick Arre in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.
