Trupal Patel's body was discovered by a park ranger at Shark River Park in Wall Township on Feb. 22.
FREEHOLD - A 20-year-old Ocean Township man accused of shooting another man three times and then dumping his body in a Monmouth County park was denied release from jail Thursday while he awaits trial.
Joseph Villani was ordered to remain held without bail during a detention hearing before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge David Bauman.
Bauman found there was probable cause that Villani shot and killed 29-year-old Trupal Patel, of Brick Township, in the garage of an Ocean Township home that Villani lived in with his father.
Trupal Patel, who was found dead Feb. 22 "It does appear that the defendant admitted to the crimes and that the witnesses' statements seem to corroborate in several material respects," Bauman said.
Investigators also found shell casings and blood in the home, Bauman said.
Drops of what investigators believe to be blood were found on one of Villani's shoes, he said.
The judge also agreed with Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Decker in saying that Villani could potentially be a flight risk if released.
Decker said that Villani would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of first-degree murder and felony murder.
"He is 20 years old," Decker explained. "He is an extremely high risk not to appear and to run off based on the fact that he has very little to lose at this point of time."
Villani's defense attorney, Allison Friedman, argued that her client did "have very important things to lose" because he wouldn't have an opportunity to prove his innocence in the case if he were to fail to appear.
In ruling to deny Villani's release, Bauman also said that he could also potentially pose a risk to the public, particularly the witnesses whose statements to police led to his arrest.
"Thus far the principal witnesses that have brought the process to this point are known to the defendant, in fact very well known," Bauman said. "These are not strangers. One was identified as the defendant's 'girlfriend' and the other as his 'best friend.' So the court is concerned about whether the defendant, if released, would obstruct the criminal justice process."
A park ranger was collecting litter in Shark River Park at approximately 8:40 a.m. on Feb. 22 when he discovered Patel's body down a slight slope along Gully Road in Wall Township, authorities said.
Investigators soon learned a friend had reported Patel missing to Asbury Park police Feb. 9, the same day that a car Patel had been driving was found abandoned on an Asbury Park street.
Villani became a suspect in Patel's death after the mother of one of Villani's friends called police to report her son may know something about the disappearance, Decker said in court.
That friend told investigators he helped Villani move what he later learned was Patel's 2003 Jaguar on Feb. 7 after Villani told him he needed help relocating the car because the brakes needed to be repaired, Decker said.
Villani initially told investigators that he was not in Patel's car, but then said he stole the car and a Movado watch that was in it, according to the Ocean Township Police Department's affidavit of probable cause filed against Villani.
When detectives further pressed Villani - who was allegedly wearing Patel's watch while being interviewed by detectives - he told them several times "I did it" but did not elaborate, Decker said.
However, a man described as Villani's "best friend" told investigators that prior to Patel going missing, Villani had expressed an interest in robbing Patel, according to the affidavit. He asked about how much marijuana and money Patel had and what type of car he drove, according to the affidavit.
Villani previously bought marijuana from Patel, Bauman said in court.
The friend told investigators he gave Patel's contact information to Villani approximately a week before Patel disappeared, Decker said.
Villani's girlfriend also told detectives that Villani told her that he shot Patel in the head after the two "got physical" while in Villani's garage on Feb. 5, the affidavit said.
The girlfriend said Villani didn't tell her what he did with Patel's body, but did show her blood drops on the garage floor, the document said.
She also said Villani had previously talked loosely robbing Patel, but she said that she didn't take him seriously, the affidavit said.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.