SOMERVILLE, N.J. – Authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of a TikTok star who gained fame after sharing her brother’s struggles with substance use disorder. According to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, 27-year-old David Shroitman is charged with murder in the deadly stabbing of 27-year-old Maryrose Fealey.
Fealey worked to decrease the stigma surrounding substance use disorder and was a guest on a Grieving Out Loud podcast episode. As Emily’s Hope previously reported, Fealey died from multiple stab wounds outside of a residential complex in Somerville, New Jersey on January 30th.
While authorities did reveal that Fealey and Shroitman knew each other, they didn’t release any further details. However, Patch.com and MyCentralJersey.com both report that the two graduated together from Somerville High School in 2014.
According to an affidavit obtained by Patch.com, Fealey was stabbed approximately 37 times and her car door was open with her belongings spread across the front yard.
On February 1st, dashboard camera footage captured a man resembling Shroitman standing near Maryrose’s home at 9 p.m. the night of the incident. Detectives attempted to speak with him the next day, noting suspicious items in his car. Subsequent surveillance footage allegedly showed Shroitman in the vicinity of the crime scene, with his vehicle also identified.
During a Sunday response to a suspicious person report, police discovered Shroitman at a business in Somerville, wearing latex gloves and cleaning his car. The affidavit notes the smell of bleach, and officers claim to have found a latex glove with apparent blood on Fealey’s street.
Following a search warrant, authorities inspected Shroitman’s home, recovering several bleach containers and a chilling “manifesto” outlining a step-by-step plan for the murder, according to the affidavit. Luminol spray tests indicated blood in the entryway and bathroom. The investigators found clothing, some stained with bleach, and sneakers matching the surveillance footage. The affidavit also alleges the bleaching of Shroitman’s car door.
In addition to first-degree murder, Shroitman is also charged with third-degree possession of a weapon, fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence and third-degree hindering investigation.
As a tribute to Fealey and her impactful efforts in helping those grappling with addiction, Emily’s Hope has chosen to re-air her podcast this week.