Attorneys and relatives of the victims said Thursday during the lawsuit’s announcement that a “blue wall of silence” shielded the state trooper who killed his ex-girlfriend and her new partner in Franklin, Hunterdon County, earlier this month.
Three police departments, including the Franklin and Washington Township, Morris County police departments, and the New Jersey State Police, will be sued, according to attorneys for the survivors of Lauren Semanchik and Tyler Webb.
Following at least three accusations by Semanchik that her ex-boyfriend, state police Lt. Ricardo J. Santos, had been harassing her since their split in September 2024, they will accuse the police of a systemic failure to take action on several levels.
Attorney David A. Mazie stated during the event, which was hosted at his Roseland company, that police officers defend their own under the “blue wall of silence.” They turn a blind eye to accusations made against them, as was the case in this instance.
According to the attorneys, a tort claim was submitted on Thursday, which is a necessary step before bringing a lawsuit against a public agency in New Jersey.
Semanchik’s mother, Jennine Semanchik, sister, Allison Semanchik, and their other attorney, Beth G. Baldinger, were standing close by when Mazie talked.
The attorneys outlined the case’s main accusations, including how Lauren Semanchik contacted Washington police after her car was stolen at work in May and determined that Santos was the most likely suspect. Despite writing a report and even getting in touch with Santos, the officers did nothing more.
And how Lauren was unable to see a police officer when she went to the Franklin police department the next day. The voicemail that Semanchik left for the department was never answered.
In an attempt to stop Santos’ persistent calls, texts, and unwanted visits to her place of employment at an animal hospital in Long Valley, Washington Township, she had also gotten in touch with one of his coworkers in the state police’s Executive Protection Unit.
They said that didn’t work either.
Additionally, three different neighbors contacted 911 on the night Lauren and Tyler were killed to report gunshots and a woman screaming close to her Upper Kingtown Road home.
According to the attorneys, Franklin police arrived but never visited her residence; instead, they simply drove down the street and departed.
Some of the neighbors contacted and stated, “They’re livid, as are we,” according to Jennine Semanchik and her family.
According to her mother, every law enforcement agency that Lauren sought assistance from failed her.
We will ultimately hold the Franklin Township Police Department accountable for its inaction, Mazie stated. We will investigate why no one from the state police took action to seize Santos’ firearms.
Guidelines for New Jersey police enforcementare unambiguous that when an officer is the accused perpetrator of domestic abuse, authorities should confiscate the officer’s firearm, Mazie stated.
We’ll find out why police officers didn’t even enter Lauren’s house that night to look into the gunshots and screams, whether New Jersey police have been held to a higher standard when domestic violence complaints are filed against them, and whether there was a cover-up in this and other cases, Mazie said.
According to Mazie, Santos was able to kill Semanchik and Tyler outside her Upper Kingtown Road home on August 1 after following her home from work due to the police’s delay. After that, Santos committed suicide in Piscataway.
When Semanchik’s father got home the following day, he discovered them dead—Tyler on her porch and Lauren outside. According to Allison Semanchik, the father and daughter intended to go to the Soulstice Music & Arts event in Clinton.
Tyler and Lauren attended a pop-punk show at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park over Memorial Day weekend. He was 29 and she was 33.
Regarding Santos, the New Jersey State Police have not yet commented.
The Franklin police department’s daily operations have been taken over by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, and the chief of police and a sergeant have been placed on leave. According to the office, they will also look into Lauren’s prior run-ins with the law.
Referring any comments on the incident to the prosecutor’s office, which declined to speak as well, citing an ongoing investigation, the chief of the Washington police department declined to comment.
Additionally, Mazie and Baldinger urged the state attorney general’s office to look into the matter and find the truth.
Webb’s parents, Lisa and Jim Webb, described their son as a brilliant light in a statement that Baldinger read during the news conference.
Webb, who lived in Lacey, volunteered as a firefighter in the town and for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. He also worked as a mechanic for the township Berkeley.
According to the parents, despite only being 29 years old, Tyler was well-known in his community for his compassion, friendliness, and contagious laugh.
According to them, Tyler and Lauren bonded deeply and affectionately right away.
They were just beginning a very significant and meaningful journey together, and they shared their love of music, animals, family, and friends.
The Webb family is dedicated to seeing that Tyler receives justice. According to the parents, they want a thorough inquiry and responsibility from those who failed Lauren and, consequently, Tyler.
She did nothing but want to help people and help people’s animals, and the number of people who attended both of their funerals was a testament to the kind of people that this terrible murderer took away, said Jennine Semanchik, the mother of a veterinarian at a Long Valley animal hospital.
Stories by
Kevin Shea
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You may contact Kevin Shea at [email protected].
