MCPO: Philip Seidle, the former Neptune Township police officer who pleaded guilty to the 2015 homicide of his estranged wife, was denied an appeal as part of a Post-Conviction Relief petition today.

The denial by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Dennis R. O’Brien was handed down without an evidentiary hearing. Seidle, represented by Robin Kay Lord, Esq., of Trenton, claimed his original defense counsel, Edward Bertucio, was ineffective for not obtaining a psychological evaluation prior to the guilty plea and for not taking his diminished capacity defense to trial.

Judge O’Brien found that Bertucio was not ineffective in recommending the plea agreement to aggravated manslaughter. Seidle is currently serving a 30-year prison term.