PRESS RELEASE
December 1, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Jamaal A. Barker, age 25, of 1029 South 8th St., Camden NJ was shot multiple times and killed about 10 p.m. Wednesday (11/30) on West Washington St., Paulsboro NJ.
Barker was believed to have been visiting an acquaintance in Paulsboro. He died at the scene of the shooting.
The shooting is being investigated by the major crimes unit of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and the detective bureau of the Paulsboro Police Department. Anyone with information about Barker’s death is asked to contact Det. Stacie Lick of the GCPO at 856-384-5608, Det. Gary Kille of the Paulsboro PD at 856-423-1101 or anonymously text a tip to the GCPO. Text GLOTIP and the message to CRIMES (274637).
This is the third murder in Gloucester County in 2011.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Driver safety course offered
PRESS RELEASE
November 29, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
For the first time, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office is offering county residents a free defensive driving course that will give them a discount on motor vehicle insurance premiums and can also remove points from their driving record.
The six-hour course will be offered in two sessions- Wednesday and Thursday evening, Feb. 8 and 9 from 6 to 9 or in one session on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Classes will meet in Room 403 of the Instructional Center at Gloucester County College, Tanyard Road, Deptford Township NJ.
“This is an opportunity for county residents to learn more about safe driving while lowering their auto insurance rates,” said Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton. “It’s a win for the residents and will help make our streets safer.”
Those who complete the course are entitled to a five-percent discount on their vehicle insurance premiums. They can also have two penalty points removed from their driving record, a reduction allowed once every five years and which can also result in lower insurance premiums.
“While the course and an accompanying manual are free, if you want a point reduction, there is a $10 processing fee,” said Det. Nick Schock, motor vehicle crash investigator for the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and instructor for the course.
The class, using lessons developed by the National Safety Council, will be limited to Gloucester County residents and to 30 per class. Instruction will include operating a vehicle in adverse weather conditions such as snow, and dealing with driving around larger vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and aggressive drivers.
To register, e-mail either Det. Schock at nschock@co.gloucester.nj.us or Phyllis Covici of the GCPO at pcovici@co.gloucester.nj.us, or telephone Phyllis Covici at 856-384-5534.
November 29, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
For the first time, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office is offering county residents a free defensive driving course that will give them a discount on motor vehicle insurance premiums and can also remove points from their driving record.
The six-hour course will be offered in two sessions- Wednesday and Thursday evening, Feb. 8 and 9 from 6 to 9 or in one session on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Classes will meet in Room 403 of the Instructional Center at Gloucester County College, Tanyard Road, Deptford Township NJ.
“This is an opportunity for county residents to learn more about safe driving while lowering their auto insurance rates,” said Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton. “It’s a win for the residents and will help make our streets safer.”
Those who complete the course are entitled to a five-percent discount on their vehicle insurance premiums. They can also have two penalty points removed from their driving record, a reduction allowed once every five years and which can also result in lower insurance premiums.
“While the course and an accompanying manual are free, if you want a point reduction, there is a $10 processing fee,” said Det. Nick Schock, motor vehicle crash investigator for the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and instructor for the course.
The class, using lessons developed by the National Safety Council, will be limited to Gloucester County residents and to 30 per class. Instruction will include operating a vehicle in adverse weather conditions such as snow, and dealing with driving around larger vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and aggressive drivers.
To register, e-mail either Det. Schock at nschock@co.gloucester.nj.us or Phyllis Covici of the GCPO at pcovici@co.gloucester.nj.us, or telephone Phyllis Covici at 856-384-5534.
Lindenwold man agrees to 4 yrs NJSP in cocaine case
PRESS RELEASE
November 28, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Jamaine L. Levi (DOB 7/5/88),of 825 Myrtle Ave., Lindenwold NJ pleaded guilty today (11/28) in Superior Court, Woodbury NJ to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute when he was arrested in Paulsboro NJ on Nov. 3, 2010.
Levi acknowledged he was driving his mother’s car and was in possession of less than a half-ounce of cocaine when police stopped him on Capitol St. The vehicle had been seen in the vicinity on Buck St. in Paulsboro at the time of an earlier report of suspicious persons there. Under terms of a plea agreement, Senior Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Paul Colangelo will recommend that Levi be sentenced to four years in New Jersey state prison, and that he serve two years before becoming eligible for parole. The sentence would be concurrent with a three-year prison sentence imposed on a narcotics conviction in Camden County on Oct. 7, 2011. The sentence would also be concurrent with a federal prison term Levi is serving. Charges and duration of that sentence were not immediately available.
Superior Court Judge M.Christine Allen-Jackson scheduled sentencing for Feb. 6.
November 28, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Jamaine L. Levi (DOB 7/5/88),of 825 Myrtle Ave., Lindenwold NJ pleaded guilty today (11/28) in Superior Court, Woodbury NJ to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute when he was arrested in Paulsboro NJ on Nov. 3, 2010.
Levi acknowledged he was driving his mother’s car and was in possession of less than a half-ounce of cocaine when police stopped him on Capitol St. The vehicle had been seen in the vicinity on Buck St. in Paulsboro at the time of an earlier report of suspicious persons there. Under terms of a plea agreement, Senior Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Paul Colangelo will recommend that Levi be sentenced to four years in New Jersey state prison, and that he serve two years before becoming eligible for parole. The sentence would be concurrent with a three-year prison sentence imposed on a narcotics conviction in Camden County on Oct. 7, 2011. The sentence would also be concurrent with a federal prison term Levi is serving. Charges and duration of that sentence were not immediately available.
Superior Court Judge M.Christine Allen-Jackson scheduled sentencing for Feb. 6.
2 months-no fatal crashes; keep it going during holidays
PRESS RELEASE
November 22, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Gloucester County’s last fatal motor vehicle crash in 2011 was Sept. 17, and law enforcement officials want to see that continue through the joyous but dangerous time between Thanksgiving and the new year, weeks that typically claim 2,000 lives on the nation’s roads.
Especially during the month of December, a fast-paced time with celebrations and stress, often made more hazardous by sleet and snow, “we want to urge everyone to drive sober, safe and focused on the road,” said Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton. “Traffic in many places will be heavy and distractions can be many. Do your best to drive responsibly this holiday season.”
As indicated by last year’s holiday period in Gloucester County, it is possible to get through the month without becoming a statistic. There were no motor vehicle fatalities in 2010 after October.
Some reminders:
• Designated driver- if drinking, arrange for one in advance.
• If you’re with an impaired drinker, take their keys and help them get home.
• Eat as well as drink. Balance booze intake with high-protein foods.
• Medication-takers: remember interactions with alcohol.
• Party hosts: stop serving alcoholic drinks well before the party’s over.
Since 2003, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office has overseen the Gloucester County Highway Task Force, dedicated to reducing the number of fatal accidents on our roadways. It is made up of residents and businesses working to make our roadways safer. If you are interested in participating, please e-mail the Task Force at nschock@co.gloucester.nj.us or call (856) 384-5635.
November 22, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Gloucester County’s last fatal motor vehicle crash in 2011 was Sept. 17, and law enforcement officials want to see that continue through the joyous but dangerous time between Thanksgiving and the new year, weeks that typically claim 2,000 lives on the nation’s roads.
Especially during the month of December, a fast-paced time with celebrations and stress, often made more hazardous by sleet and snow, “we want to urge everyone to drive sober, safe and focused on the road,” said Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton. “Traffic in many places will be heavy and distractions can be many. Do your best to drive responsibly this holiday season.”
As indicated by last year’s holiday period in Gloucester County, it is possible to get through the month without becoming a statistic. There were no motor vehicle fatalities in 2010 after October.
Some reminders:
• Designated driver- if drinking, arrange for one in advance.
• If you’re with an impaired drinker, take their keys and help them get home.
• Eat as well as drink. Balance booze intake with high-protein foods.
• Medication-takers: remember interactions with alcohol.
• Party hosts: stop serving alcoholic drinks well before the party’s over.
Since 2003, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office has overseen the Gloucester County Highway Task Force, dedicated to reducing the number of fatal accidents on our roadways. It is made up of residents and businesses working to make our roadways safer. If you are interested in participating, please e-mail the Task Force at nschock@co.gloucester.nj.us or call (856) 384-5635.
Infoshare criminal records system a cost-saver
PRESS RELEASE
November 21, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
For most of the history of criminal investigations in Gloucester County and elsewhere, law enforcement has generated file cabinets of paper, originating with police departments, turned over to the county prosecutor’s office and then shared as required with defense attorneys.
But for the past three years, the paperwork involved in police reports, Miranda forms, photographs, hand-written witness statements and other records has been turned into digital documents- a computer transformation that the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office has been a state leader in accomplishing.
The traditional paper records flow “was labor-intensive and also expensive with respect to supplies,” said Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton.
Under what is called the Infoshare system, only the original criminal complaint signed at police departments is still required to be in paper form. “Everything else is sent electronically,” said Dalton. “And when something gets mislaid, we are easily able to retrieve it.”
The digitization program, including the purchasing of scanners and software for records administrators and laptops and training for all GCPO assistant prosecutors, was funded by a state Public Archives and Records Infrastructure Support (PARIS) grant included in New Jersey’s 2004-05 budget. The PARIS program was itself funded by a document filing fee collected by county clerks.
This was a project that our former First Assistant Prosecutor, Steve Sand, spearheaded with Jannan Salvati of the Prosecutor’s Office and Michelle Everly of the county Information technology Department,” said Dalton. “Their commitment was critical, especially when it came to teaching people a new way of doing their job, which is never easy.”
“I started with three major municipalities,” said Salvati, who manages Infoshare within the GCPO. “It was West Deptford, Mantua and Glassboro.”
“The scanners were all set up. I taught them how to do the scanning, everything they had to do to get the reports up to us. We stayed with that to work out all the bugs for probably about eight months. Then we slowly started adding new municipalities until about a year ago.”
Assisting the GCPO and other county prosecutor’s offices statewide was CSI Technology Group, of Keasbey NJ. The 20-year-old firm specializes in criminal investigation and prosecution technology. CSI support managers for South Jersey offices are James Mannion and Richard Norcross.
All 22 Gloucester County police departments- two have merged since the program began- and the Rowan University Security Department now transmit documents needed for prosecutions with the tap of a keyboard.
Today, “the only way reports come into our office is through the Infoshare system, saving the municipalities postage,” Salvati said. Previously, reports were mailed, hand-carried and sometimes faxed to the GCPO “if they weren’t too bulky,” she said.
When the PARIS program was initiated in 2005, then New Jersey Secretary of State Regina L. Thomas compared it to the state’s first records preservation law in 1760. PARIS represents “an advancement as important today as the construction of the first fireproof vaults to protect New Jersey’s colonial archives was nearly 250 years ago,” Thomas said in an article published by a Web site that reports developments in government technology.
Documents related to criminal cases must still be copied onto paper to be shared with defense attorneys in the pre-trial “discovery” process, but “the next phase is to put all the discovery onto a disc and send it out,” said Prosecutor Dalton.
GCPO assistant prosecutors appreciate the efficiency of the Infoshare system. While ushering in “an era of digitized discovery,” Infoshare eliminates the time-consuming steps of copying, packaging and mailing documents, said AP Joseph Brook, who prosecutes computer crimes.
“It has been said that justice delayed is justice denied,” said Brook. “The Infoshare system brings more immediacy and fights unnecessary delay as the Prosecutor’s Office continues its mission to administer justice for its constituency.”
On the document-generating side- the municipal police departments- Infoshare saves paper-transfer time that is better spent on the street, said West Deptford Chief Craig Mangano. “Even for the smallest of cases, there can be a considerable amount of documents,” said Chief Mangano. Infoshare “streamlines the process of document transfer for our criminal cases.”
November 21, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
For most of the history of criminal investigations in Gloucester County and elsewhere, law enforcement has generated file cabinets of paper, originating with police departments, turned over to the county prosecutor’s office and then shared as required with defense attorneys.
But for the past three years, the paperwork involved in police reports, Miranda forms, photographs, hand-written witness statements and other records has been turned into digital documents- a computer transformation that the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office has been a state leader in accomplishing.
The traditional paper records flow “was labor-intensive and also expensive with respect to supplies,” said Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton.
Under what is called the Infoshare system, only the original criminal complaint signed at police departments is still required to be in paper form. “Everything else is sent electronically,” said Dalton. “And when something gets mislaid, we are easily able to retrieve it.”
The digitization program, including the purchasing of scanners and software for records administrators and laptops and training for all GCPO assistant prosecutors, was funded by a state Public Archives and Records Infrastructure Support (PARIS) grant included in New Jersey’s 2004-05 budget. The PARIS program was itself funded by a document filing fee collected by county clerks.
This was a project that our former First Assistant Prosecutor, Steve Sand, spearheaded with Jannan Salvati of the Prosecutor’s Office and Michelle Everly of the county Information technology Department,” said Dalton. “Their commitment was critical, especially when it came to teaching people a new way of doing their job, which is never easy.”
“I started with three major municipalities,” said Salvati, who manages Infoshare within the GCPO. “It was West Deptford, Mantua and Glassboro.”
“The scanners were all set up. I taught them how to do the scanning, everything they had to do to get the reports up to us. We stayed with that to work out all the bugs for probably about eight months. Then we slowly started adding new municipalities until about a year ago.”
Assisting the GCPO and other county prosecutor’s offices statewide was CSI Technology Group, of Keasbey NJ. The 20-year-old firm specializes in criminal investigation and prosecution technology. CSI support managers for South Jersey offices are James Mannion and Richard Norcross.
All 22 Gloucester County police departments- two have merged since the program began- and the Rowan University Security Department now transmit documents needed for prosecutions with the tap of a keyboard.
Today, “the only way reports come into our office is through the Infoshare system, saving the municipalities postage,” Salvati said. Previously, reports were mailed, hand-carried and sometimes faxed to the GCPO “if they weren’t too bulky,” she said.
When the PARIS program was initiated in 2005, then New Jersey Secretary of State Regina L. Thomas compared it to the state’s first records preservation law in 1760. PARIS represents “an advancement as important today as the construction of the first fireproof vaults to protect New Jersey’s colonial archives was nearly 250 years ago,” Thomas said in an article published by a Web site that reports developments in government technology.
Documents related to criminal cases must still be copied onto paper to be shared with defense attorneys in the pre-trial “discovery” process, but “the next phase is to put all the discovery onto a disc and send it out,” said Prosecutor Dalton.
GCPO assistant prosecutors appreciate the efficiency of the Infoshare system. While ushering in “an era of digitized discovery,” Infoshare eliminates the time-consuming steps of copying, packaging and mailing documents, said AP Joseph Brook, who prosecutes computer crimes.
“It has been said that justice delayed is justice denied,” said Brook. “The Infoshare system brings more immediacy and fights unnecessary delay as the Prosecutor’s Office continues its mission to administer justice for its constituency.”
On the document-generating side- the municipal police departments- Infoshare saves paper-transfer time that is better spent on the street, said West Deptford Chief Craig Mangano. “Even for the smallest of cases, there can be a considerable amount of documents,” said Chief Mangano. Infoshare “streamlines the process of document transfer for our criminal cases.”
DUI defendant loses appeal;claimed he wasn't driving
PRESS RELEASE
November 16, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
A state appeals court today (11/16) affirmed the drunk-driving conviction of a Gibbstown NJ man who claimed he wasn’t driving his car when it crashed into another vehicle in Deptford NJ, even though he was found on foot near the collision with his car’s keys in his pocket.
But if he was the driver, Desmond M. Clayton (DOB 5/5/80) contended, he wasn’t drunk at the time of the crash, even though his blood-alcohol level tested at .18 a short time later.
The guilty finding in the 11/22/09 crash earned Clayton a six-month jail sentence and a 10-year driver’s license suspension because of prior DUI convictions. The municipal court conviction was upheld by Superior Court Judge Walter L. Marshall Jr. and Clayton then filed the appeal decided today.
The appeals court supported Judge Marshall’s findings based on “strong circumstantial evidence.” Clayton “smelled of alcohol, His eyes were bloodshot and watery. He had possession of his car keys,” said an appeal brief by Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Margaret Cipparrone.
November 16, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
A state appeals court today (11/16) affirmed the drunk-driving conviction of a Gibbstown NJ man who claimed he wasn’t driving his car when it crashed into another vehicle in Deptford NJ, even though he was found on foot near the collision with his car’s keys in his pocket.
But if he was the driver, Desmond M. Clayton (DOB 5/5/80) contended, he wasn’t drunk at the time of the crash, even though his blood-alcohol level tested at .18 a short time later.
The guilty finding in the 11/22/09 crash earned Clayton a six-month jail sentence and a 10-year driver’s license suspension because of prior DUI convictions. The municipal court conviction was upheld by Superior Court Judge Walter L. Marshall Jr. and Clayton then filed the appeal decided today.
The appeals court supported Judge Marshall’s findings based on “strong circumstantial evidence.” Clayton “smelled of alcohol, His eyes were bloodshot and watery. He had possession of his car keys,” said an appeal brief by Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Margaret Cipparrone.
Suspect arrested in fatal 11/10 Wash. Twp. stabbing
PRESS RELEASE
November 11, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld-PIO
Officers with the Gloucester County Prosecutor's fugitive unit, assisted by local police and K-9 teams, at about 10 a.m. this morning (11/11) arrested 42-year-old Mark Holloway, no known address, as a suspect in the fatal stabbing of 43-year-old Kim Barnum about 8 p.m. Friday night in the victim's apartment on Fries Mill Road in the Birches section of Washington Township, Gloucester County NJ.
Charges of first-degree murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose were signed this aftenoon and bail was set at $1 million. Holloway, who initially was held on other outstanding arrest warrants, has been placed in the Gloucester County Jail, Woodbury NJ. A Search warant will be requested for a location where it is believed the weapon used in the attack on Barnum can be found.
Sgt. Barry Johnson, supervisor of the GCPO fugitive unit, took Holloway into custody without incident in an abandoned trailer in the Colonial Estates mobile home park off the Black Horse Pikein Monroe Township, Gloucester County NJ. Johnson was working with officers from Monroe and K-9 teams from Monroe and the Gloucester County Sheriff's Department.
Investigators believe Holloway fled from his mother's car last night after she drove him drom Barnum's apartment enroute to deliver him to police. Along with New Jersey State Police and police from surrounding districts and a K-9 unit on the ground, the search in a wooded are of Monroe township last night included a Philadelphia Police helicopter with thermal imaging equipment. This morning, members of the GCPO fugitive unit focused on places where Holloway frequented, including Colonial Estates.
Holloway was transported to the Gloucester County Justice Complex in Woodbury for booking and possible questioning. He and Barnum, who lived alone in her apartment unit, had a history of domestic violence. An sutopsy on the victim by the Gloucester County Medical Examiner this morning determined there were multiple stab wounds consistent with a long, thin knife blade. The two most significant wounds were to a lung and the aorta.
Washington and Monroe townships have handled previous domestic violence incidents involving Holloway and Barnum, the most recent in April, with injuries to both. At that time, Barnum declined to have a temporary restraining order issued against Holloway.
"This offense underscores the importance for all victims of domestic violence to seek assistance," Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton said of the county's second homicide this year, both the result of domestic violence. "We are pleased at the quick apprehension as a result of the work of our fugitive unit, working with the New Jersey State Police, teh US Marshal's Fugitive Task Force in Camden as well as local police departments." The GCPO crime scene and major crimes units also responded to the murder scene.
November 11, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld-PIO
Officers with the Gloucester County Prosecutor's fugitive unit, assisted by local police and K-9 teams, at about 10 a.m. this morning (11/11) arrested 42-year-old Mark Holloway, no known address, as a suspect in the fatal stabbing of 43-year-old Kim Barnum about 8 p.m. Friday night in the victim's apartment on Fries Mill Road in the Birches section of Washington Township, Gloucester County NJ.
Charges of first-degree murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose were signed this aftenoon and bail was set at $1 million. Holloway, who initially was held on other outstanding arrest warrants, has been placed in the Gloucester County Jail, Woodbury NJ. A Search warant will be requested for a location where it is believed the weapon used in the attack on Barnum can be found.
Sgt. Barry Johnson, supervisor of the GCPO fugitive unit, took Holloway into custody without incident in an abandoned trailer in the Colonial Estates mobile home park off the Black Horse Pikein Monroe Township, Gloucester County NJ. Johnson was working with officers from Monroe and K-9 teams from Monroe and the Gloucester County Sheriff's Department.
Investigators believe Holloway fled from his mother's car last night after she drove him drom Barnum's apartment enroute to deliver him to police. Along with New Jersey State Police and police from surrounding districts and a K-9 unit on the ground, the search in a wooded are of Monroe township last night included a Philadelphia Police helicopter with thermal imaging equipment. This morning, members of the GCPO fugitive unit focused on places where Holloway frequented, including Colonial Estates.
Holloway was transported to the Gloucester County Justice Complex in Woodbury for booking and possible questioning. He and Barnum, who lived alone in her apartment unit, had a history of domestic violence. An sutopsy on the victim by the Gloucester County Medical Examiner this morning determined there were multiple stab wounds consistent with a long, thin knife blade. The two most significant wounds were to a lung and the aorta.
Washington and Monroe townships have handled previous domestic violence incidents involving Holloway and Barnum, the most recent in April, with injuries to both. At that time, Barnum declined to have a temporary restraining order issued against Holloway.
"This offense underscores the importance for all victims of domestic violence to seek assistance," Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton said of the county's second homicide this year, both the result of domestic violence. "We are pleased at the quick apprehension as a result of the work of our fugitive unit, working with the New Jersey State Police, teh US Marshal's Fugitive Task Force in Camden as well as local police departments." The GCPO crime scene and major crimes units also responded to the murder scene.
Investigation ongoing in Marine's '92 murder in logan
PRESS RELEASE
November 10, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
The 1992 murder of a Marine Gunnery Sergeant stationed in Philadelphia is receiving new attention.
The Gloucester County (NJ) Prosecutor’s Office is working with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Cold Case Homicide Unit to solve the 19-year-old slaying.
It was just after Veterans Day 1992, in the early morning of Nov. 14, that Gunnery Sergeant James Sutton’s family found him shot to death in his Logan Township, Gloucester County NJ home.
The 41-year-old career Marine lived with his wife and seven-year-old daughter on Arrowood Place in Logan Township and was assigned to the Fourth Marine Corps District in Philadelphia PA.
“While many years have passed since Sgt. Sutton’s murder, time and technology can help in the investigation of ‘cold’ cases,” said GCPO Det. Joan Krucinski, who is working the case with NCIS Special Agent Kaylyn Deuker.
“The passage of time can help, in that relationships change over the years, and people with information sometimes become more willing to share knowledge than when first interviewed,” Det. Krucinski said.
“And as we review a years-old homicide, we are always interested in anyone who knew the victim” the detective said. “Some people may not even know they have critical information.”
“In addition, forensic methods have progressed over the years, allowing us to retest old physical evidence and acquire new information,” said Det. Krucinski.
Krucinski also said the NCIS, which investigates unsolved crimes involving Marines and Navy personnel is an effective ally in the Sutton case. Since the NCIS cold case unit was formed in 1995, it has solved 61 murders.
“I never knew James, but to me he is a real person, and he deserves our best effort to find the person responsible for his death,” said Agent Deuker. “The motto of the NCIS cold case unit comes from a quote by Voltaire: ‘To the living we owe respect. To the dead we owe the truth.’ We intend to determine the truth about what happened to James Sutton.”
Krucinski and Dueker are the third team of investigators to work on Sutton’s murder, the first two pairs having retired. And that is another aspect of cold case work that can lead to a perpetrator. “Families and loved ones should know that in this office and at the NCIS, cold cases do not sit on a shelf in a basement. They are next to the desk of one investigator and the next one. Each of us in law enforcement come to an unsolved case with our own perspective, studying what has been done and looking for the unexplored,” Det.Krucinski said. “Persistence and ‘fresh eyes’ is how we eventually find killers.”
Reports about the ongoing investigation of Sutton’s murder will appear in the Navy Times and Marine Times publications, in print and online.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation should call Det. Krucinski at (856) 384-5609 or e-mail her at jkrucinski@co.gloucester.nj.us. Tips can also be sent to the GCPO major crimes unit e-mail address: mcu@co.gloucester.nj.us.
November 10, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
The 1992 murder of a Marine Gunnery Sergeant stationed in Philadelphia is receiving new attention.
The Gloucester County (NJ) Prosecutor’s Office is working with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Cold Case Homicide Unit to solve the 19-year-old slaying.
It was just after Veterans Day 1992, in the early morning of Nov. 14, that Gunnery Sergeant James Sutton’s family found him shot to death in his Logan Township, Gloucester County NJ home.
The 41-year-old career Marine lived with his wife and seven-year-old daughter on Arrowood Place in Logan Township and was assigned to the Fourth Marine Corps District in Philadelphia PA.
“While many years have passed since Sgt. Sutton’s murder, time and technology can help in the investigation of ‘cold’ cases,” said GCPO Det. Joan Krucinski, who is working the case with NCIS Special Agent Kaylyn Deuker.
“The passage of time can help, in that relationships change over the years, and people with information sometimes become more willing to share knowledge than when first interviewed,” Det. Krucinski said.
“And as we review a years-old homicide, we are always interested in anyone who knew the victim” the detective said. “Some people may not even know they have critical information.”
“In addition, forensic methods have progressed over the years, allowing us to retest old physical evidence and acquire new information,” said Det. Krucinski.
Krucinski also said the NCIS, which investigates unsolved crimes involving Marines and Navy personnel is an effective ally in the Sutton case. Since the NCIS cold case unit was formed in 1995, it has solved 61 murders.
“I never knew James, but to me he is a real person, and he deserves our best effort to find the person responsible for his death,” said Agent Deuker. “The motto of the NCIS cold case unit comes from a quote by Voltaire: ‘To the living we owe respect. To the dead we owe the truth.’ We intend to determine the truth about what happened to James Sutton.”
Krucinski and Dueker are the third team of investigators to work on Sutton’s murder, the first two pairs having retired. And that is another aspect of cold case work that can lead to a perpetrator. “Families and loved ones should know that in this office and at the NCIS, cold cases do not sit on a shelf in a basement. They are next to the desk of one investigator and the next one. Each of us in law enforcement come to an unsolved case with our own perspective, studying what has been done and looking for the unexplored,” Det.Krucinski said. “Persistence and ‘fresh eyes’ is how we eventually find killers.”
Reports about the ongoing investigation of Sutton’s murder will appear in the Navy Times and Marine Times publications, in print and online.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation should call Det. Krucinski at (856) 384-5609 or e-mail her at jkrucinski@co.gloucester.nj.us. Tips can also be sent to the GCPO major crimes unit e-mail address: mcu@co.gloucester.nj.us.
GC corrections officer charged with misconduct
PRESS RELEASE
November 9, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Thomas C. Hahn (DOB 1/6/79), an officer with the Gloucester County Department of Corrections, was charged Nov. 4 with complicity, conspiracy and misconduct in a Sept. 14, 2011 aggravated assault on a Gloucester County Jail inmate, by arranging for another inmate to attack him.
Specifically, Hahn moved the 20-year-old inmate who was attacked to a location within the Woodbury NJ jail “with the purpose to injure” him and then refused to stop the subsequent assault, according to the criminal complaint. The victim has been moved to another facility. As indicated by the aggravated assault charge, he suffered injuries in the attack, which did not involve weapons.
Bail was set for Hahn at $25,000 cash, which he posted.
An investigation into the incident by the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office is continuing.
November 9, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Thomas C. Hahn (DOB 1/6/79), an officer with the Gloucester County Department of Corrections, was charged Nov. 4 with complicity, conspiracy and misconduct in a Sept. 14, 2011 aggravated assault on a Gloucester County Jail inmate, by arranging for another inmate to attack him.
Specifically, Hahn moved the 20-year-old inmate who was attacked to a location within the Woodbury NJ jail “with the purpose to injure” him and then refused to stop the subsequent assault, according to the criminal complaint. The victim has been moved to another facility. As indicated by the aggravated assault charge, he suffered injuries in the attack, which did not involve weapons.
Bail was set for Hahn at $25,000 cash, which he posted.
An investigation into the incident by the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office is continuing.
Sentence affirmed in Mullica Hill beting of woman
PRESS RELEASE
November 9, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
A state appeals court today upheld a five year New Jersey state prison sentence for David W. Hill (DOB 5/29/61), convicted of assaulting a woman he shared a Mullica Hill, Gloucester County NJ apartment with on July 27, 2008.
Appellate judges dismissed Hill’s claim of an excessive sentence without comment. The panel also found that the trial judge correctly permitted any cross-examination of Hill to include his eight-year-old record of convictions for aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon, saying they were “not so remote in time” that they could not be offered to impeach his credibility, “particularly in light of the intervening convictions for hindering apprehension in 2006, making harassing communications in 2007 and hindering apprehension in 2008.”
In the domestic violence incident, the victim testified Hill punched her at least five times in one eye, causing her to be hospitalized with bone fractures around the eye.
The sentence imposed by Superior Court Judge Walter L. Marshall on Aug. 31, 2010 “was judicious and not excessive,” Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Margaret A. Cipparrone wrote in a brief.
November 9, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
A state appeals court today upheld a five year New Jersey state prison sentence for David W. Hill (DOB 5/29/61), convicted of assaulting a woman he shared a Mullica Hill, Gloucester County NJ apartment with on July 27, 2008.
Appellate judges dismissed Hill’s claim of an excessive sentence without comment. The panel also found that the trial judge correctly permitted any cross-examination of Hill to include his eight-year-old record of convictions for aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon, saying they were “not so remote in time” that they could not be offered to impeach his credibility, “particularly in light of the intervening convictions for hindering apprehension in 2006, making harassing communications in 2007 and hindering apprehension in 2008.”
In the domestic violence incident, the victim testified Hill punched her at least five times in one eye, causing her to be hospitalized with bone fractures around the eye.
The sentence imposed by Superior Court Judge Walter L. Marshall on Aug. 31, 2010 “was judicious and not excessive,” Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Margaret A. Cipparrone wrote in a brief.
$67K restitution, 5 yrs probation in travel agent theft
PRESS RELEASE
November 4, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Facing more than a dozen customers in court, Ellis Hester (DOB 7/18/56), of 1236 Mt. Vernon Ave., Gibbstown NJ was sentenced today to five years on probation and ordered to repay them $67,380 in deposits for a June 2011 Mediterranean cruise they never took because Hester, as a travel agent, kept their money.
Hester pleaded guilty Aug. 15 to a charge of theft.
The restitution to 20 customers is “a conglomeration of $3,369 to each of the victims,” Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Joseph Brook said.
Superior Court Judge Walter L. Marshall Jr., upping Hester’s monthly restitution order from the defendant’s proposed $300 to $400, reminded him that two missed payments would violate his probation and may put him in jail. The repayment schedule will be reviewed later “so the maximum amount can be paid to the victims,” the judge said. Hester’s lawyer said he remains “gainfully employed.”
The customers, some of whom had used Hester’s Deva Travel agency in Monroe Township NJ for years, said they felt betrayed and embarrassed, since long-time customers persuaded trusting friends to take the cruise with them. Some were retirees who took on extra work to pay for the trip and others were looking forward to their first travel abroad, they said.
Hester did not explain the reason for the theft but said he felt “real bad” about it.
November 4, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Facing more than a dozen customers in court, Ellis Hester (DOB 7/18/56), of 1236 Mt. Vernon Ave., Gibbstown NJ was sentenced today to five years on probation and ordered to repay them $67,380 in deposits for a June 2011 Mediterranean cruise they never took because Hester, as a travel agent, kept their money.
Hester pleaded guilty Aug. 15 to a charge of theft.
The restitution to 20 customers is “a conglomeration of $3,369 to each of the victims,” Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Joseph Brook said.
Superior Court Judge Walter L. Marshall Jr., upping Hester’s monthly restitution order from the defendant’s proposed $300 to $400, reminded him that two missed payments would violate his probation and may put him in jail. The repayment schedule will be reviewed later “so the maximum amount can be paid to the victims,” the judge said. Hester’s lawyer said he remains “gainfully employed.”
The customers, some of whom had used Hester’s Deva Travel agency in Monroe Township NJ for years, said they felt betrayed and embarrassed, since long-time customers persuaded trusting friends to take the cruise with them. Some were retirees who took on extra work to pay for the trip and others were looking forward to their first travel abroad, they said.
Hester did not explain the reason for the theft but said he felt “real bad” about it.
Deptford woman sentenced in son's murder
PRESS RELEASE
November 3, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Martina Harding (DOB 12/13/65), was sentenced today to 22 years in New Jersey state prison after pleading guilty Sept. 26 to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in a 2007 fatal knife attack on her six-year-old son in the family’s 727 Dartmouth Road home in Deptford Township NJ.
Superior Court Judge Walter L. Marshall Jr. said the negotiated plea recommended by Trial Chief Mary Pyffer of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office was a reasonable resolution to an “extremely tragic” incident. Harding will serve 85 percent of the sentence- 18 years, 8 months and 15 days- before she is considered for parole. Upon release, she will be subject to five years of parole supervision.
As part of the plea agreement, Harding withdrew the defense of not guilty by reason of insanity, previously filed with the court.
In the Dec. 22 incident, six year-old Jarod Harding’s throat was slashed and he died shortly after he was transported to Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury NJ. The attack in the living room of the home, using a kitchen knife, was witnessed by Harding’s nine-year-old daughter. She and Martina Harding’s husband, Christian, were not injured, but the defendant inflicted a cut to her own neck as well.
At sentencing, Christian Harding read a statement, asking for both mercy that would allow his daughter to some day see her mother outside of prison, and for justice on behalf of Jarod Harding, whose death, he said, came at the hands of “the person who had given him life.”
Martina Harding also addressed the court briefly, saying she lives with the memory of her actions Dec. 22 “every day.”
Avoiding a trial in which eyewitness testimony would have been required by the daughter, who has been adopted by relatives and is now living in another state, was a key consideration in plea negotiations in the case. Differing psychiatric opinions
on Harding’s mental state at the time of the slaying was another determinative factor in resolving the case.
“Asking Martina Harding’s daughter, who continues to have affection for her mother, to recite before a courtroom of strangers one of the most traumatic events a child could experience, weighed heavily in our thinking about how to prosecute this defendant,” said Trial Chief Pyffer.
Harding, who initially was placed in the Ann Klein Center, a state psychiatric hospital, is currently being held in a county women’s detention facility in default of $500,000 bail. She was credited in her sentencing for the 1,412 days she has been in custody.
At her Sept. 26 plea hearing, Harding was questioned by one of her attorneys, Fred Last. She acknowledged that in December 2007 she had been depressed for some time, had attempted suicide and was suicidal the day the of her son’s killing. She agreed with Last’s suggestion that she felt “it would be better off if the children came with you” and that she had acted to “carry that out” with Jarod, by cutting him with a knife.
Questioned by Pyffer, Harding agreed that she was clear-thinking the day of her plea despite taking several medications for pain and depression. She also said she was satisfied with her representation by experienced attorneys Last and Jeffrey Wintner over the past four years. Harding agreed with Pyffer’s characterization that, even though she did not intend to kill him, by inflicting two 1 ½ inch deep cuts to her son’s neck, “you were pretty sure-almost certain- that he would pass.” Her statement conformed with the manslaughter charge of “recklessly” causing death “under circumstances that manifest extreme indifference to the value of life” and Judge Marshall accepted the plea.
November 3, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Martina Harding (DOB 12/13/65), was sentenced today to 22 years in New Jersey state prison after pleading guilty Sept. 26 to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in a 2007 fatal knife attack on her six-year-old son in the family’s 727 Dartmouth Road home in Deptford Township NJ.
Superior Court Judge Walter L. Marshall Jr. said the negotiated plea recommended by Trial Chief Mary Pyffer of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office was a reasonable resolution to an “extremely tragic” incident. Harding will serve 85 percent of the sentence- 18 years, 8 months and 15 days- before she is considered for parole. Upon release, she will be subject to five years of parole supervision.
As part of the plea agreement, Harding withdrew the defense of not guilty by reason of insanity, previously filed with the court.
In the Dec. 22 incident, six year-old Jarod Harding’s throat was slashed and he died shortly after he was transported to Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury NJ. The attack in the living room of the home, using a kitchen knife, was witnessed by Harding’s nine-year-old daughter. She and Martina Harding’s husband, Christian, were not injured, but the defendant inflicted a cut to her own neck as well.
At sentencing, Christian Harding read a statement, asking for both mercy that would allow his daughter to some day see her mother outside of prison, and for justice on behalf of Jarod Harding, whose death, he said, came at the hands of “the person who had given him life.”
Martina Harding also addressed the court briefly, saying she lives with the memory of her actions Dec. 22 “every day.”
Avoiding a trial in which eyewitness testimony would have been required by the daughter, who has been adopted by relatives and is now living in another state, was a key consideration in plea negotiations in the case. Differing psychiatric opinions
on Harding’s mental state at the time of the slaying was another determinative factor in resolving the case.
“Asking Martina Harding’s daughter, who continues to have affection for her mother, to recite before a courtroom of strangers one of the most traumatic events a child could experience, weighed heavily in our thinking about how to prosecute this defendant,” said Trial Chief Pyffer.
Harding, who initially was placed in the Ann Klein Center, a state psychiatric hospital, is currently being held in a county women’s detention facility in default of $500,000 bail. She was credited in her sentencing for the 1,412 days she has been in custody.
At her Sept. 26 plea hearing, Harding was questioned by one of her attorneys, Fred Last. She acknowledged that in December 2007 she had been depressed for some time, had attempted suicide and was suicidal the day the of her son’s killing. She agreed with Last’s suggestion that she felt “it would be better off if the children came with you” and that she had acted to “carry that out” with Jarod, by cutting him with a knife.
Questioned by Pyffer, Harding agreed that she was clear-thinking the day of her plea despite taking several medications for pain and depression. She also said she was satisfied with her representation by experienced attorneys Last and Jeffrey Wintner over the past four years. Harding agreed with Pyffer’s characterization that, even though she did not intend to kill him, by inflicting two 1 ½ inch deep cuts to her son’s neck, “you were pretty sure-almost certain- that he would pass.” Her statement conformed with the manslaughter charge of “recklessly” causing death “under circumstances that manifest extreme indifference to the value of life” and Judge Marshall accepted the plea.
Body ID will rely on DNA matching
PRESS RELEASE
November 2, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
The identification of a badly-burned body found in a house on fire in Washington Township, Gloucester County NJ last Friday (10/28) is now expected to take several months as investigators have turned to DNA matching in their efforts to confirm the man’s name.
The male body was found in the living room of a house at 133 Berlin-Cross Keys Road. Fingerprint impressions could not be obtained because of the condition of the body and a forensic dentist did not find a match of the man’s dental impressions with available records. A tattoo of initials on the man has provided one clue as to his possible identity. DNA from the corpse will now be matched against a national database by a laboratory, which is expected to take several months.
The cause of the fire in the long-vacant house, which was known to be frequented by squatters, remains under investigation.
November 2, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
The identification of a badly-burned body found in a house on fire in Washington Township, Gloucester County NJ last Friday (10/28) is now expected to take several months as investigators have turned to DNA matching in their efforts to confirm the man’s name.
The male body was found in the living room of a house at 133 Berlin-Cross Keys Road. Fingerprint impressions could not be obtained because of the condition of the body and a forensic dentist did not find a match of the man’s dental impressions with available records. A tattoo of initials on the man has provided one clue as to his possible identity. DNA from the corpse will now be matched against a national database by a laboratory, which is expected to take several months.
The cause of the fire in the long-vacant house, which was known to be frequented by squatters, remains under investigation.
PTI rejection affirmed for drug-selling ex-CVS worker
PRESS RELEASE
November 2 , 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
A former CVS pharmacy employee who was arrested on charges of stealing and selling prescription medicines today lost an appeal of her rejection from the Gloucester County pretrial intervention program, which could have resulted in eventual dismissal of her charges.
A state appeals court found that there was no abuse of discretion on the part of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office in opposing the admission of Elizabeth A. Powell to the PTI program in 2008. Powell (DOB 11/21/79), of Vineland,, who worked as a pharmacy technician in a Franklin Township, Gloucester County NJ pharmacy, subsequently pleaded guilty to third-degree drug distribution and was sentenced to two years on probation. CVS managers discovered the theft.
The GCPO contended Powell was ineligible for PTI because, even though her drug-selling in her Vineland hometown lasted only four months, it ended only because of her arrest; she was not motivated by an addiction and she did not fully cooperate with police, refusing to disclose the buyers of pills she sold. She sold mostly Vicodin, Powell told police. Senior Assistant County Prosecutor Paul Colangelo said Powell profited “to the tune of almost $8,000.” in what he called a “pattern of antisocial behavior.”
Colangelo “felt a diversion ( into PTI) would send the wrong message” about how such offenses are handled, Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Enos wrote in a brief
opposing Powell’s appeal. PTI allows defendants who meet certain conditions, such as performing community service, to have their charges dismissed.
Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton said the decision “recognizes that drug dealers come from all walks of life, but have the common denominator of financial profit and disregard for the lives they destroy in the process.”
November 2 , 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
A former CVS pharmacy employee who was arrested on charges of stealing and selling prescription medicines today lost an appeal of her rejection from the Gloucester County pretrial intervention program, which could have resulted in eventual dismissal of her charges.
A state appeals court found that there was no abuse of discretion on the part of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office in opposing the admission of Elizabeth A. Powell to the PTI program in 2008. Powell (DOB 11/21/79), of Vineland,, who worked as a pharmacy technician in a Franklin Township, Gloucester County NJ pharmacy, subsequently pleaded guilty to third-degree drug distribution and was sentenced to two years on probation. CVS managers discovered the theft.
The GCPO contended Powell was ineligible for PTI because, even though her drug-selling in her Vineland hometown lasted only four months, it ended only because of her arrest; she was not motivated by an addiction and she did not fully cooperate with police, refusing to disclose the buyers of pills she sold. She sold mostly Vicodin, Powell told police. Senior Assistant County Prosecutor Paul Colangelo said Powell profited “to the tune of almost $8,000.” in what he called a “pattern of antisocial behavior.”
Colangelo “felt a diversion ( into PTI) would send the wrong message” about how such offenses are handled, Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Enos wrote in a brief
opposing Powell’s appeal. PTI allows defendants who meet certain conditions, such as performing community service, to have their charges dismissed.
Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton said the decision “recognizes that drug dealers come from all walks of life, but have the common denominator of financial profit and disregard for the lives they destroy in the process.”
Clementon woman convicted of Woodbury rental subsidy theft
PRESS RELEASE
October 28, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Lanese Gerachis (DOB 7/17/85), of La Cascata Apartments in Clementon NJ, has been convicted of theft by receiving a federal housing subsidy for the indigent worth $5,200, then subletting the Woodbury NJ apartment she rented to another tenant.
The guilty finding on a charge of third-degree theft was returned by a jury late Thursday (10/27). Superior Court Judge M. Christine Allen-Jackson scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2012. Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Temperance Williamson said the theft conviction may result in a prison sentence because Gerachis has two prior assault convictions in Camden County NJ.
The subletting scheme continued for about six months, between March 2009 and September 2009, the two-day trial showed. At that time, the tenant of Gerachis in the Woodlake apartments attempted to divert her $550 monthly rental to an unpaid electric bill for the unit. Gerachis then sought to evict the tenant and her children and Woodbury police filed the theft charges.
October 28, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
Lanese Gerachis (DOB 7/17/85), of La Cascata Apartments in Clementon NJ, has been convicted of theft by receiving a federal housing subsidy for the indigent worth $5,200, then subletting the Woodbury NJ apartment she rented to another tenant.
The guilty finding on a charge of third-degree theft was returned by a jury late Thursday (10/27). Superior Court Judge M. Christine Allen-Jackson scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2012. Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Temperance Williamson said the theft conviction may result in a prison sentence because Gerachis has two prior assault convictions in Camden County NJ.
The subletting scheme continued for about six months, between March 2009 and September 2009, the two-day trial showed. At that time, the tenant of Gerachis in the Woodlake apartments attempted to divert her $550 monthly rental to an unpaid electric bill for the unit. Gerachis then sought to evict the tenant and her children and Woodbury police filed the theft charges.
NJ Killer loses another try for shorter sentenfe
PRESS RELEASE
October 28, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
In another attempt to overturn rulings that affirmed his 25-year aggravated manslaughter sentence, resulting from the 1998 fatal shooting of a man at a Logan Township NJ Holiday Inn, Kyle Ransome (DOB 4/24/78), of Penns Grove NJ was again rejected today by an appellate court .
Ransome, who this time wrote his own 35-page legal brief, saying his last appeal lawyer was ineffective, argued that the sentencing judge in June 2001 mistakenly imposed an excessive prison term for his conviction in the shooting of 23-year-old Richard Nichols, of Salem NJ during a birthday party brawl at the Logan hotel. The sentence should have been 20 years, Ransome maintained.
The sentence has twice been affirmed on appeals, said Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Joseph Enos in an answering brief. “He has attacked it as being excessive and now attacks it as unsound. He cannot attack it as being illegal,” Enos wrote. Ransome claimed his sentence was unjust based on “only one solitary contact with the court” before the shooting. But that was a guilty plea to selling drugs in a school zone, for which he received probation, then he violated probation by getting a gun and killing Nichols, Enos repeatedly stated in his brief.
The appeals court, calling Ransome’s submission “a stealth second application for post-conviction relief,” said the convicted killer didn’t submit the required lower-court order from which he was appealing. “We decline to address Ransome’s claims in the face of his blatant disregard for our rules of procedure,” it said.
October 28, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Weisenfeld- PIO
In another attempt to overturn rulings that affirmed his 25-year aggravated manslaughter sentence, resulting from the 1998 fatal shooting of a man at a Logan Township NJ Holiday Inn, Kyle Ransome (DOB 4/24/78), of Penns Grove NJ was again rejected today by an appellate court .
Ransome, who this time wrote his own 35-page legal brief, saying his last appeal lawyer was ineffective, argued that the sentencing judge in June 2001 mistakenly imposed an excessive prison term for his conviction in the shooting of 23-year-old Richard Nichols, of Salem NJ during a birthday party brawl at the Logan hotel. The sentence should have been 20 years, Ransome maintained.
The sentence has twice been affirmed on appeals, said Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Joseph Enos in an answering brief. “He has attacked it as being excessive and now attacks it as unsound. He cannot attack it as being illegal,” Enos wrote. Ransome claimed his sentence was unjust based on “only one solitary contact with the court” before the shooting. But that was a guilty plea to selling drugs in a school zone, for which he received probation, then he violated probation by getting a gun and killing Nichols, Enos repeatedly stated in his brief.
The appeals court, calling Ransome’s submission “a stealth second application for post-conviction relief,” said the convicted killer didn’t submit the required lower-court order from which he was appealing. “We decline to address Ransome’s claims in the face of his blatant disregard for our rules of procedure,” it said.
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