Investigators in Bucks County have announced charges against Michael Allen Stark, 49, for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of his co-worker, Matthew James Branning.
Following up on a missing persons case that began in October of 2021, on Thursday, the Bucks County District Attorney's office announced charges of murder, kidnapping and related offenses against Stark. He was arrested in Wayne County, Michigan, in April of last year and later extradited to Pennsylvania.
When the incident unfolded two years ago, police said, Branning, 50, went missing at the end of his work shift at Enchlor Inc. -- a manufacturing company in Silverdale -- on Oct.15, 2021.
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Police believe, Stark, a co-worker of Branning's, failed to appear for his own shift and, instead, lay in wait for Branning outside the business, then forced Branning into his own vehicle and made him withdraw money from an ATM in Sellersville before killing him.
Court documents note that, at about 4 p.m. that day, Branning, in his personal 2002 Lexus SUV, withdrew money from an ATM in Bucks County, and surveillance footage caught Branning seemingly alone in the vehicle -- though, a person is visible in the back seat of the vehicle, investigators claim.
Branning would never be seen again -- though, his bank account was used at a New Jersey gas station at about 7 p.m. that day, court documents note.
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According to court documents, there's then about an hour-and-a-half where data from cellphones for both Branning and Stark showed they were in the area of Somers Point, New Jersey.
The next time Branning's vehicle was spotted, police said, was at a Wawa in Cape May at about 9 p.m., where Stark, allegedly purchased a cellphone charger and USB cable before taking Branning's Lexus onto the Atlantic City Expressway. Branning was not seen during that stop, police said.
Court documents note that, hours later, Stark's cellphone showed activity at "Needle Park" -- also known as McPherson Square Park -- on Indiana Avenue in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood.
In December of 2021, police recovered Branning's vehicle in Falls Church, Virginia, where, court documents note, investigators found vials that held crack cocaine linked to a drug market in Kensington, as well as forensic evidence tied to Stark.
Branning's family told police, court documents note, that he was not a drug user and it was not like him to miss work -- where he had been employed for nine years -- without reason or travel to New Jersey unexpectedly.
Investigators said that, though Branning's body has not yet been found, police believe Stark kidnapped his co-worker then killed him and disposed of his body at some point throughout this encounter.
Stark is being held in Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail. It was unclear if Stark had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
