Kathleen HopkinsAsbury Park Press
FREEHOLD — After harassing his mother all day long and inflicting what turned out to be a fatal beating on his father, a 36-year-old Middletown man told responding police officers he was the son of Christ and that "the whole world would riot if he was thrown in jail,'' an assistant prosecutor told a judge Wednesday.
Caitlin Sidley, assistant Monmouth County prosecutor, cited the apparently delusional statements Kyle Kiernan made at the time of his arrest in arguing he should be kept in jail without bail to await trial in the manslaughter of his frail, 62-year-old father, Lawrence Kiernan.
Sidley argued to Superior Court Judge Jill Grace O'Malley that Kiernan is "a danger to other persons, notably persons within his home,'' including his mother, the sole eyewitness to the fatal assault on his father.
Defense attorney Brynn Giannullo asked the judge to order Kiernan's release so he can continue to receive the mental health treatment he needs.
"I don't believe that we should be detaining people based upon mental illness,'' Giannullo argued.
O'Malley, however, ordered that Kiernan remain in jail.
"He is not being incarcerated because of his mental health needs, behaviors or concerns, but rather, for his violent tendencies,'' the judge said.
The defendant remained calm throughout the 25-minute proceeding and, when asked by the judge, indicated he understood his right to appeal her decision.
Sidley said Kiernan had been verbally harassing his mother all day on June 1, calling her vulgar names and falsely accusing her of doing things to him when he was younger, including abandoning him.
At one point, the defendant went upstairs in the family's home on Pine Street in Middletown and began arguing with his father, claiming he was the son of Jesus, Sidley said. As the argument continued, Lawrence Kiernan told his son to get out of the house, but the defendant refused and punched his father in the face, the assistant prosecutor said. The son continued punching his father in the head after he fell to the ground, she said.
When police responded to the home about 6:35 p.m., they observed cuts on Lawrence Kiernan's face and arm, and bruises on Kyle Kiernan's knuckles, she said.
Emergency medical technicians treated the victim at the scene, but he refused further medical attention.
At that time, the defendant claimed he acted in self defense and told the officers his father had grabbed his shirt, Sidley said.
"He intimated that the officers knew him or of him, that they knew he was the son of Christ, that the whole world knows he's the son of Christ, and the world is lying to cover it up,'' Sidley told the judge.
The defendant told one of the officers he has telepathy and was in the officer’s head, "and told him to confess his sins,'' Sidley said.
"He also advised the FBI was telling the officers what to do, and the whole world would riot if he was thrown in jail,'' the assistant prosecutor said.
Kiernan also told the officer that "other countries would be looking for him'' if he was locked up, she said.
Despite that, the officers arrested him, Sidley said.
Kiernan's statements were captured on an officer's body-worn camera, she said.
About 3 a.m. the next day, the victim's wife called 911 to report she was unable to rouse her husband, and that he appeared to have vomited on himself, the assistant prosecutor continued.
Emergency responders took the victim to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he was pronounced dead just before noon, Sidley said.
An autopsy determined the victim died as a result of complications from a brain hemorrhage, caused by the defendant "repeatedly striking him in the head,'' Sidley said.
"It was Lawrence Kiernan who initiated the physical contact and put his hands around Mr. Kiernan's neck,'' Kyle Kiernan's attorney argued.
Giannullo said Kyle Kiernan was in active therapy and on mental health medication before he was locked up.
"His family is here, willing to take him home and willing to supervise that he continue mental health treatment,'' Giannullo said.
But, O'Malley said she was very concerned about the defendant's mental condition.
"He claims he's the second coming of Christ,'' the judge said.
"This mental health concern has been ongoing for some time and is not being properly treated in the community,'' the judge said, calling the defendant's statements to police "delusional and nonsensical.''
The judge also noted that the victim was frail and in poor health when his physically healthy son assaulted him. She said there had been a temporary restraining order against Kyle Kiernan in the past, and "there appears to be escalating assaultive behavior here.''
At the request of the defense attorney, O'Malley ordered that Kiernan undergo a mental health evaluation while at the jail.
She scheduled the defendant's next court date for July 18.
Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com.
