A New Jersey suspect was killed after a long standoff. A suspect who was a registered sex offender held three siblings hostage in a room that also contained the decomposing bodies of their mother and teenage brother, who were killed some days or weeks before, for well over a day. Authorities in New Jersey killed the man who was holding the three siblings hostage after 37 hours.

The standoff occurred in a home in South Trenton, NJ. On Sunday, 38-year-old Gerald "Skip" Tyrone Murphy was finally confronted by police and shot after he was threatening one of the children.

New Jersey state police officer Col. Rick Fuentes, told press that they decided to enter the home due to concern about Murphy's "deteriorating state of mind" and to help ensure that the captives survived. Murphy had kept the captives with him inside a bedroom throughout the standoff. "This was a very complex matter, considering the space and that three children were involved," Fuentes said to press during a news conference. "Our mission over those 37 hours was to save innocent lives."

Murphy and Carmelita Stephens, 44, the children's mother, had been dating for a few months. Both lived in the home. 

Authorities first went to the home on Friday because a relative of Carmelita Stephens had told police that she hadn't spoken to her in weeks. Officers subsequently realized her children hadn't been to school in 12 days. As soon as they came in the house, they noticed the smell of a dead body. They also saw maggots throughout the house.

They went upstairs and encountered Murphy, who told them he had a gun and explosives, as well as the three children. Police saw one of the two dead bodies, then retreated. In the basement, they found Carmelita's 19-year-old son, who is autistic. He hadn't seen any family members since about April 24.

After the standoff was over and Murphy was shot, the bodies of Carmelita Stevens and her 13-year-old son were found in the house. The three siblings who had been held hostage -18 and 16 year old girls and a 4-year-old boy - were taken to the hospital to be evaluated.