Duck Island is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

located along the border of Hamilton Township and the city of Trenton in Mercer County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. The community takes its name from Duck Island, which extends southeastward from the community. The city of Trenton provides public docks for fishing in Duck Island.

The "Duck Island Murders"

Duck Island was frequented as a

lovers' lane A lovers' lane is a secluded area where people kiss, make out, or engage in sexual activity. These areas range from parking lots in secluded rural areas to places with extraordinary views of a cityscape or other features. "Lovers' lanes" are t ...

during the 1930s due to its remoteness and nearness to Trenton. One evening in 1938, a young couple parked at a secluded spot on Duck Island were shot after money was demanded of them. One died at the scene, while the second died the next day. A year later, a second couple parked at Duck Island was shot dead. A botched murder attempt on another young couple parked in a lovers' lane in

Tullytown, Pennsylvania Tullytown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally a village in Falls Township, Tullytown was partitioned as a borough in 1891. The population was 1,872 at the 2010 census. Part of Levittown is located in Tullytown. ...

, led to the arrest of Clarence Hill in 1942. Motivated by sexual and voyeuristic urges, the serial killer was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for what became known as the "Duck Island Murders".

Incinerator

In 1996, there were plans to build a $260 million trash incinerator on Duck Island, but the proposal was defeated by the Mercer County

Board of Chosen Freeholders In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the ...

References

{{Mercer County, New Jersey Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey Neighborhoods in Trenton, New Jersey Unincorporated communities in Mercer County, New Jersey Unincorporated communities in New Jersey