Suspended Neptune cop pleads not guilty in ex-wife's killing

Philip Seidle, 51, was a newly divorced Neptune police sergeant on June 16 when he followed Tamara Seidle briefly through the streets of Asbury Park before gunning her down at point-blank range with his service weapon while she was in her car, authorities said at the time. Watch video

FREEHOLD -- The former Neptune cop who shot his ex-wife to death in the presence of their youngest child pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to the charges against him.

Indicted in November in the shooting death of his former wife, Philip Seidle, 51, had his first court appearance Wednesday since his arrest five months earlier to formally face charges of one count each of murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and endangering the welfare of a child.

Suspended Neptune cop indicted in ex-wife's killing

Seidle was a newly divorced Neptune police sergeant on June 16 when he followed Tamara Seidle, 51, briefly through the streets of Asbury Park before gunning her down at point-blank range with his service weapon while she was in her car, authorities said at the time. There had been more than a dozen domestic calls between the two before the shooting. 

With his hands shackled to his waist and his legs in shackles, Seidle was escorted into the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Joseph Oxley in Freehold by Monmouth County sheriffs officers who stood watch over him during the nine-minute proceeding.

Dressed in orange jail garb covered by a tan jacket, Seidle sat in the jury box and scanned the audience, which was comprised mostly of media and members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

"We have Mr. Seidle entering a pleading not guilty to all of the criminal charges contained in the various counts in the indictment," said his attorney, Edward Bertucio.

First Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Marc LeMieux told Oxley that -- as in all criminal cases -- Seidle was offered a plea deal,but LeMieux did not specify the terms of the offer.

"Under that indictment, Phil Seidle is charged with the first-degree murder of Tamara Seidle. He's charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, a second-degree crime against Tamara Seidle," LeMieux said. "He's charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a second-degree crime, against his daughter."

In the indictment handed up Nov. 17, a grand jury found two factors that exacerbated the crime, and as a result, Seidle could face life in prison if convicted of murder.

Those factors are that the killing created a "grave risk of death to another person" and also that Tamara Seidle's killing "was outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible or inhumane" 

Bertucio said Seidle pleaded not guilty to those factors, as well.

Oxley set March 10 as the date for the first status conference for Seidle's case. Bertucio said that the state's plea offer remains on the table until around the time of Seidle's second status conference. That second conference would generally be four to six weeks after the first conference, LeMieux said.

"We're at the beginning of what's going to be a  long protracted proceeding," Bertucio said after court. " Our investigation and the conduct of our defense on Phil Seidle's behalf is ongoing and we're just going to have to take this is small steps because there's a lot of moving parts."

After the first round of shots, his 7-year-old daughter who was in the car with Seidle ran to safety before Seidle fired off a second round at his ex-wife while police were present but didn't fire back.

Seidle then held responding officers at bay by holding the gun to his head while police again did not discharge their weapons.

The officers' response to the shooting is the subject of an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, the results of which have not yet been released.

At the time of the shooting, authorities said Seidle and his wife, who were divorced May 27, 2015, after 23 years of marriage, were battling over how often he got to see their nine children, who range in age from 8 to 25.

LeMieux said Seidle's family was aware of Wednesday's court date and that they chose not to attend.

Seidle remains in jail in lieu of $2 million bail.