Michael Stark.
Matthew James Branning, of Sellersville, went missing after work in October 2021.
A former Montgomery County man was sentenced to life in prison on Monday following his conviction for kidnapping, robbing and killing Matthew James Branning, a Sellersville man who went missing in October 2021 after leaving his job in Silverdale Borough.
Michael Allen Stark, 50, of Royersford, was found guilty by a Bucks County jury of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping, theft by unlawful taking, flight to avoid apprehension, and abuse of a corpse, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
Bucks County Common Pleas Judge Stephen A. Corr immediately sentenced Stark, calling the career criminal someone with “very little regard” for the community and the law.
Per the DA, Stark received a life sentence on the murder charges and a consecutive 20 to 40 years for robbery and kidnapping.
Stark kidnapped his co-worker at the end of their shift in October 2021, forced him to take out money, and then fled to Virginia in Branning’s Lexus. At some point, Stark killed Branning and dumped his body in a swampy gully in Maryland.
After a five-day trial, the jury reached a verdict and found Stark guilty of killing Branning, his co-worker at Silverdale-based Enchlor Inc., a chlorination equipment manufacturer at 130 W. Main St.
“I am so proud of this team for getting justice for Matthew Branning and his lovely family,” said District Attorney Jennifer Schorn. “Now we can rest assured that this violent predator will never harm another individual again.”
. Corr also ordered Stark to pay $6,291.23 in restitution to the victim’s compensation program.
During the sentencing phase, Chief Deputy District Attorney Matt Lannetti read impact statements from Branning’s family, who described him as a hard-working, joyful and gentle person who would help anyone, including his co-worker Stark, who was struggling at the job, according to the DA’s Office.
Branning was “a light in our family, and when Michael Stark extinguished that light, he left a hole in our hearts that can never be replaced,” said Branning’s sister.
Earlier Monday, Deputy District Attorney Jovin Jose detailed in his closing statements the complex and unyielding investigation, conducted by Bucks County Detectives, led by retired Detective David Hanks, and the Perkasie Borough Police Department, led by Detective Travis Schoonover.
An investigation by Bucks County detectives and Perkasie Borough Police found that Stark kidnapped Branning at the end of his work shift on Oct. 15, 2021, forced him to withdraw money from a nearby ATM, and then fled into New Jersey in the victim’s Lexus SUV.
At some point during the encounter, Stark killed Branning and disposed of his body in a gully in Maryland.
Authorities found Branning’s Lexus at an apartment complex parking lot in Falls Church, Virginia, in December 2021. The SUV had a flat tire and a missing license plate. Inside, detectives found crack cocaine vials, Branning's driver’s license and credit cards.
DNA on the steering wheel matched a sample from Stark.
Branning’s body was finally found in November 2021 in a swampy gully in Reisterstown, Maryland, but he was not positively identified until May 2023, authorities said.
The victim was wearing the remains of a black T-shirt and white shorts, which were the same clothes he was wearing the day he disappeared, police said.
Stark was arrested in April 2022 in Wayne County, Michigan, for a warrant out of Monroe County, Pennsylvania. He was extradited back to Pennsylvania three months later.
Investigators were assisted by the Bucks County Investigating Grand Jury, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, Fairfax Virginia Law Enforcement Authorities, the Wayne County Michigan Law Enforcement Authorities, and tips from the public.
