In the quiet community of Great Meadows, New Jersey, the life of a young woman was tragically cut short in a violent act that also claimed the life of her beloved puppy. Amanda Grace Pulver, a 21-year-old female, was killed on the morning of Thursday, June 27, 2024. Friends and family remember her as a person whose smile was infectious and who had the ability to make everyone in a room laugh.
Amanda was a 2021 graduate of Hackettstown High School and was pursuing a degree in business management with dreams of one day owning her own house-flipping company. She was described as deeply devoted to her family, which included her parents, Darrin and Colleen Pulver, and her two older brothers, Michael and Darrin. Her eight-month-old puppy, Dunkin', was also killed in the incident.
Authorities were alerted to a shooting on Alphano Road in Independence Township around 8:19 a.m. The investigation led them to identify a suspect, Anthony J. Garvin, a 34-year-old from Netcong.
It was reported that Garvin was a 'former friend' of Amanda's, and her brother clarified that they were not in a romantic relationship. Garvin was located and taken into custody in Pennsylvania later that same morning.
Garvin was initially charged with first-degree murder and second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose. Subsequently, additional charges were filed against him, including animal cruelty for the death of the puppy, aggravated assault for pointing a firearm at two other individuals, criminal mischief for causing damage to the home, burglary, and unlawful possession of a weapon. The Warren County Prosecutor's Office stated that the act was targeted and that the investigation is ongoing.
