Kishan S. Sheth
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 21-year-old KISHAN S. SHETH of Newark, NJ on various charges, including murder. The arrest was the result of a homicide investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Paramus Police Department under the direction of Chief Robert M. Guidetti.
On Monday, November 18, 2024, at approximately 4:08 p.m., the Paramus Police Department conducted a welfare check of a 74-year-old female resident on East Ridgewood Avenue. Upon arrival, officers located the resident, identified as Rita Acharya, deceased on her couch. Accordingly, the Paramus Police Department notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, and a joint investigation was initiated. The investigation revealed that KISHAN S. SHETH, an acquaintance of the victim, entered the home, murdered Rita Acharya by strangling and stabbing her, and stole her vehicle and debit card. After the murder, SHETH made attempts to conceal his crimes before leaving the area.
As a result of the investigation, on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, KISHAN S. SHETH was located and arrested in Newark, NJ by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Paramus Police Department, with the assistance of the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team. SHETH was taken into custody without incident and charged with first-degree murder, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1); first-degree felony murder, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(3); first-degree home invasion resulting in serious bodily injury, N.J.S.A. 2C:18-2.1; second-degree unlawfully disturbing, moving or concealing human remains, N.J.S.A. 2C:22-1a(1); third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4d; third-degree theft of moveable property, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-7A; third-degree theft of coming into control of property belonging to another, 2C:21-6H; and third-degree theft by extortion, N.J.S.A 2C:20-25C. SHETH was transported to the Bergen County Jail pending his first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Paramus Police Department and Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation, as well as the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team, Homeland Security Investigations, Newark Police Department, and New Jersey Institute of Technology Police Department for their assistance with the suspect’s apprehension.
