William C. Logan, 37, of East Orange, has been charged with murder and weapons possession in the killing of his 62-year-old mother, Patricia A. Blocker
NEWARK -- An East Orange man pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of killing his mother after her remains were recently discovered in the trunk of her car.
William C. Logan, 37, entered the plea through his attorney when he was arraigned before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler in connection with the death of Patricia A. Blocker, 62, of East Orange.
The judge said the matter would be referred to the grand jury and that Logan's bail has been set at $2 million. Logan remains in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility.
MORE: Man charged after his mother's remains were found in car trunk, authorities say
Blocker had been reported missing on Sept. 10, but she may have disappeared several days before that, according to Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly.
As East Orange detectives were investigating the missing person's report, they discovered Blocker's car at about 2 p.m. on Sept. 14 in the area of 23 Hartford Street in Newark, authorities said.
A subsequent investigation by detectives with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Task Force, which includes East Orange detectives, led to the discovery of human remains in the trunk of the vehicle, authorities said.
The remains were tentatively identified as Blocker's, authorities said. The exact cause of death was to be determined via an autopsy by the Northern Regional Medical Examiner's Office, authorities said.
The investigation ultimately led authorities to charge Logan with murder and weapons possession.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Task Force detectives at (877) 847-7432 or (973) 621-4586.
Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
