CRESSKILL, NEW JERSEY: A man who worked at his father's law firm as a legal assistant has been accused of beating his stepmom to death with a baseball bat.

Following the incident which happened at the family's townhouse on August 16, the man reportedly fled the scene after committing the crime.

Who is John Arthur Daniels Jr?

Arthur Daniels, 30, graduated from Bergen Catholic High in Bergen in 2011. The same year Irma Daniels 48, married John Daniels Sr.

The prominent New Jersey lawyer, 63 was serving as a managing partner at his family's almost century-old law firm known as Daniels&Daniles at 68th Street and Park Avenue in Guttenberg.

John Daniels Jr worked as a legal assistant at the firm for two years, from 2018 to 2020, according to his LinkedIn. He received an MBA from the Boston College Carroll School of Management in May 2022

He is now accused of first-degree murder, hindering apprehension by suppression, hindering apprehension by providing false information, and weapons charges as per Law&Crime.

What happened at the family's Stonegate Trail townhouse?

Shortly before 7 pm Wednesday, August 16, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Borough police responded to a 911 call. The dispatchers responded to an assault and found the body of Irma Daniels in the house.

Irma had been struck in the head with a baseball bat by Daniles, 30 as per prosecutors. Daniels had fled but was soon taken into custody, however, Irma was died at the scene.

Daniels per police had a professional history which then fell off after he took work as a legal assistant at a family law firm. Before receiving his MBA, Daniels listed his years as a marketing manager for Benzel-Bush Motor car.

Who was Irma Daniels?

Originally from Southern Russia, Irma Daniels emigrated to the United States in 2011 and married John Daniels Sr.

"She'd recently visited her homeland and was looking forward to returning soon," a family friend told Daily Voice.

She also posted a photo thirty hours before the fateful 911 call. "Going back to my roots. My beautiful motherland with breathtaking Caucasian Mountains, ancient culture, heartbreaking history and graceful and noble people. Proud of being #Circassian. The Caucasian mountains are so magnificent and eternal," she added further.

Daniels received a doctorate from the prestigious Finance Academy in Moscow and had an MBA degree in marketing.

Before launching her real estate career in Bergen County, she worked as a marketing director for a leading premium wine-importing company in Moscow.

She recently became a realtor associate with Prominent Properties of Sotheby's International Realty in Englewood Cliffs and was featured in the May issue of "The Neighbors of Closter, Demarest & Haworth" magazine.

Daniels previously worked as a real estate agent/salesperson for Keller Williams Town Life in Tenafly. This year, she received an NJ Realtors Silver Circle of Excellence Sales Award.