Morris County man accused of killing ex-girlfriend told witness to call 911: affidavit

A Morris County man purportedly armed with a handgun snuck into a Warren County home while a family slept early Thursday morning and opened fire, killing his 21-year-old ex-girlfriend and her puppy, according to authorities and family members.

Amanda Pulver died after she was allegedly shot in the leg by ex-boyfriend Anthony J. Garvin, 34, of Netcong, after he entered her Alphano Road home in the Great Meadows section of Independence Township during an "unknown time" the morning of June 27, according to reports by the Warren County Prosecutor's Office and arresting officers.

Pulver was taken to Morristown Medical Center, where she died, police said. The victim's name was released by the prosecutor's office Tuesday afternoon.

Garvin allegedly spoke to one witness and threatened another with the gun before he fled, according to an affidavit from his arrest obtained by the New Jersey Herald.

Garvin was arrested later the same day in Pennsylvania and charged with murder and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, according to a statement from Kevin Brotzman, Warren County's acting chief assistant prosecutor. Garvin remained in the Berks County Prison in Pennsylvania as of Tuesday afternoon, still awaiting extradition to New Jersey.

Officers responded to the home around 8:20 a.m. following several 911 calls and were told by several witnesses that they were awakened by "gunshots and screaming," according to court documents.

One witness inside the house allegedly told police the victim came into her room bleeding and collapsed to the ground as Garvin stood in the doorway with a handgun, court documents show. Garvin allegedly told the witness that Pulver was "still alive" and told the witness to call 911, the records state.

Local: These North Jersey counties are among country's best for living off-grid

Another witness allegedly told police after awaking to the sounds of gunshots and the victim's screams, he went upstairs and encountered Garvin, who pointed the gun at him, which forced him to back away, according to police reports.

Police stated Pulver had recently ended or indicated she wanted to end her relationship with Garvin, but Pulver's family contends that connection.

Pulver's brothers, Darrin and Michael, in statement to the New Jersey Herald on behalf of the family, including their parents, Darrin and Colleen, said Garvin was their sister's "former friend and co-worker" and nothing more.

A family pet, the police reports states, was "harmed" during the incident.

Victim 'radiated a bright light'

Pulver was a 2021 graduate of Hackettstown High School.

In public social media posts, Pulver's father, mother and one of her brothers, as well as several friends, shared memories of the woman and each linked a GoFundMe page , created by a family friend who stated the woman's life was "tragically taken in a senseless act of violence."

The woman's 8-month-old puppy, Dunkin, was killed during the shooting after it is believed he was trying to "save" the woman, said Darrin Pulver, who identified himself as the woman's father.

Darrin Pulver was not short on expressing his devastation over the loss of his daughter in such a tragic way and shared words of affection for his child, whom he called beautiful, intelligent, sweet, thoughtful, and kind.

"The forces of cowardice and evil," he wrote, "took away my only sunshine in my world of darkness."

The family suffered significant difficulties over the years, including a car accident that caused serious injuries to both he and his wife, Darrin Pulver said. They were unable to work and experienced "severe hardship, depression, and feelings of helplessness," he said.

But despite the family's misfortunes over the years, the father said he'd "gladly take 1,000 years" of it just to have his daughter back with her family and her puppy.

"At least I had the honor and privilege to call her my daughter for 21 years," he wrote. "How lucky I was."

The GoFundMe, which was garnered over $27,000 as of Tuesday afternoon, was launched by a family friend who is helping gather funds for the family's burial expenses, bioremediation services and their fight for justice, according to the page.

The page's creator said Pulver had a strong devotion to animals and was a happy mom to her new "pride and joy" puppy, who was attached to her at the hip. Pulver had an infectious laugh and a pure heart and was always "first to offer a hug when needed," the woman wrote.

Family was top priority to Pulver and she was loved immensely by her family in return, she added.

"A parent should never outlive their child; the Pulver family will never be whole again," the woman wrote. "The trauma endured is everlasting and incomprehensible."

Email: lcomstock@njherald.com ; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook .

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Morris County man accused of killing ex-girlfriend told witness to call 911: affidavit