PERKIOMEN TOWNSHIP, PA – After a crime that shocked a quiet community, a Montgomery County man has been ordered to spend his life in prison for bludgeoning his girlfriend to death with a hammer and then trying to erase any trace of his actions.
Michael Carey Jr., 47, was convicted of first-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime following a swift deliberation that lasted just 90 minutes. The sentence—life imprisonment without the possibility of parole—was handed down immediately, reflecting Pennsylvania’s mandatory punishment for such convictions.
Authorities say the brutal killing took place on the afternoon of November 1 at the residence Carey shared with 34-year-old Jessica Zipkin. Investigators determined that Carey struck Zipkin over the head with a hammer more than 20 times, inflicting injuries so severe that a medical expert described her brain as being “partially liquefied.”
Despite the severity of the attack, law enforcement officers were not notified of Zipkin’s death until the early hours of November 2. According to prosecutors, Carey waited approximately ten hours before alerting anyone, choosing instead to try to erase evidence of the crime. In the early morning, he reportedly told the building’s owner about a dead woman in his apartment. A call to emergency services soon followed, leading police to discover Zipkin’s body in the bedroom.
When officers arrived around 1 a.m., they found Zipkin lying face down with a fatal head wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and Carey was detained shortly thereafter. An autopsy confirmed that blunt force trauma was the cause of death, and the coroner ruled the manner as homicide.
Prosecutors painted a picture of a calculated attempt to cover up the killing. Witnesses reported hearing a woman scream from inside the building around the time of the attack. Minutes later, Carey was seen in the basement of a nearby restaurant, disposing of clothing in a trash can. Investigators said he also showered and changed clothes, taking further steps to hide what he had done.
During the trial, the court heard recordings of Carey speaking from jail weeks after the murder. In a telephone conversation, Carey reportedly told a friend, “I heard her take her last breath … it is what it is,” testimony that prosecutors argued demonstrated his awareness and lack of remorse.
The defense contended that Carey’s actions were fueled by heavy drug use, particularly methamphetamine, and claimed he was incapable of premeditation. His attorneys argued that he was under the influence to such a degree that rational thinking was lost, attempting to persuade the jury that the murder was not planned.
Jurors were unconvinced by the defense, returning a unanimous guilty verdict. During sentencing, the presiding judge called the crime vicious and brutal, remarking on the unspeakable violence behind Zipkin’s death.
Zipkin is survived by her parents, sister, niece, and several nephews. Her obituary noted the impact her loss had on her family and community.
Carey’s conviction closes a grim chapter in Perkiomen Township, leaving loved ones searching for answers and grappling with the aftermath of unthinkable violence.