Homicide Watch Trenton

Hamilton man gets 16 years for Chambersburg slaying

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Thu, 26 Dec 2019 19:15:18 -0500

The triggerman who shot and killed Emilio Lopez during a 2012 robbery in Trenton’s Chambersburg neighborhood has been sentenced to 16 years of incarceration.

Emmanuel Cruz

Emmanuel Cruz, 32, of Hamilton, is currently booked at the Central Reception and Assignment Facility in Ewing Township and must serve 85 percent of the sentence behind bars before being eligible for parole, records show.

Cruz pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter last month, admitting he fatally shot the 34-year-old victim near the intersection of Kent and Division streets on Nov. 16, 2012.

Cruz was the fourth and final defendant arrested in the case. He took responsibility for the homicide, while the original three co-defendants pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery.

Kenneth C. Rivera, 26, of Trenton; Jose Rivera, 26, of Trenton; and Roberto Cruz, 38, of Trenton, are scheduled to be sentenced next month for their roles in the violent crime against Lopez. The self-confessed robbers are cousins, and all of them identified Emmanuel Cruz as the triggerman.

(From left) Kenneth Rivera, Jose Rivera and Roberto Cruz

Surveillance video of the slaying showed Lopez walking down the street and getting shot while four robbers surrounded him, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. Lopez was rushed to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where he ultimately died from his fatal wounds.

Within 48 hours of the slaying, police arrested Kenneth Rivera, Jose Rivera and Roberto Cruz, charging the trio with murder. Authorities four years later arrested Emmanuel Cruz on murder charges after the three original co-defendants became state cooperating witnesses.

One of the robbers, Roberto Cruz, is Emmanuel Cruz’s brother.

An indictment handed up in April 2017 charged Emmanuel Cruz with first-degree murder, first-degree murder during the commission of a crime, first-degree armed robbery, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun without a permit to carry, second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose and second-degree certain persons not to have a weapon due to a prior conviction.

Emmanuel Cruz pleaded guilty to an amended count of aggravated manslaughter Nov. 4, and Superior Court Judge Darlene Pereksta sentenced him to 16 years of state incarceration on Dec. 13. He will be subjected to five years of parole supervision upon release, according to the judgment of conviction.

In accordance with the negotiated plea agreement, Pereksta dismissed the remaining counts in the indictment against Emmanuel Cruz. She further ordered him to pay more than $5,000 in restitution to the Victims of Crime Compensation Office and gave him 30 days to file a motion of opposition if he objects to the amount imposed.

Emmanuel Cruz received 1,089 days of jail credit for being in custody from Dec. 19, 2016, to Dec. 12, 2019, on $1 million cash bail, records show.

Emmanuel Cruz ( New Jersey Department of Corrections Photo)

Cruz previously pleaded guilty in 2012 to fourth-degree aggravated assault with a firearm and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. He also has one prior municipal court conviction and one outstanding bench warrant in Trenton, according to public records.

Defense attorney David P. Schroth represented Emmanuel Cruz at the Dec. 13 sentencing hearing. Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo handled the case.

Emmanuel Cruz is scheduled to be released from state prison on July 25, 2030, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

Convicted murderer gets 55 years for slaying Ciony Kirkman in 2016 Trenton shooting

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 21:21:52 -0400

The convicted murderer who shot and killed 16-year-old Ciony Kirkman in a wild April 2016 gunplay incident has finally been punished for his deadly crimes.

Peter Charles Jr. (left) has been convicted of murdering 16-year-old Ciony Kirkman (right) in a brazen April 2016 Trenton shooting. (SUBMITTED PHOTOS)

Peter Charles Jr., 20, of Trenton, received a 55-year prison sentence Friday as Superior Court Judge Darlene Pereksta hammered him for having no remorse.

“There has not been any sincere remorse,” she told the defendant from the bench. “You are sorry for yourself and maybe your family. That is not true remorse.”

Pereksta cited Charles’s prior history of violence as a juvenile, his prior history of unchecked drug use and his lack of employment history as aggravating factors. “There were offenses of violence in your past,” she said. “You’ll evolve. I don’t know if you’ll mature.”

A trial jury convicted Charles on each charge 12 months ago, finding him guilty of murder, weapons offenses, six counts of attempted murder and seven counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.

The incident occurred April 24, 2016, when Charles was 17 years old. He armed himself with a handgun and fired numerous shots at a minivan that Ciony and six other juveniles were occupying in the area of Jersey Street and Home Avenue in Trenton’s South Ward. One of those shots struck Ciony in the head; she died two days later from her injuries.

Police arrested Charles on April 29, 2016. He was eventually waived up to adult court and indicted on 16 counts, including one count of first-degree murder, six counts of first-degree attempted murder, seven counts of fourth-degree aggravated assault with a firearm, one count of second-degree possession of a firearm for unlawful purposes and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun without a permit to carry.

After the jury convicted Charles on June 8, 2018, he blamed his defense attorney Bruce L. Throckmorton for the outcome.

“You have to take responsibility for your own action for your own case,” Pereksta told Charles. “I do not take any pleasure in days like this.”

A first-degree murder conviction carries 30 years to life in prison in New Jersey’s criminal justice system, but a judge must exercise restraint when sentencing a juvenile waived up to adult court. Charles was a 17-year-old juvenile when he shot and killed the teenage victim.

Ciony Kirkman was a student enrolled in Trenton’s Daylight Twilight alternative high school and was active in dance and cheerleading. She was an unintended target in an ongoing feud between warring factions from the city’s Wilbur section and Jersey Street, prosecutors previously said.

Ciony’s family wanted Charles to get life in prison. Throckmorton wanted his client to get sentenced to the least punitive punishment allowable under state law. Pereksta ultimately sentenced the convicted murderer to 55 years of incarceration subject to the No Early Release Act, which means the defendant must serve at least 85 percent of the term behind bars before he may become eligible for parole.

Charles has also been sentenced to 16-year concurrent prison terms for his attempted murder convictions. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office was not seeking consecutive sentences in this case.

Charles has been awarded 1,148 days of jail credit for being in custody for more than three years since his arrest. He appeared in court Friday in an orange Mercer County Correction Center jumpsuit and said he understood the terms of his hefty prison sentence. He has the right to appeal his convictions and sentences within 45 days.

Killer gets 10 years in Trenton Halloween homicide case

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 22:32:04 -0400

Donte Jones

Self-confessed killer Donte Jones is serving a state prison sentence for slaying 36-year-old Levonza Thompson in cold blood.

A Superior Court judge sentenced Jones to 10 years of incarceration on April 12 for the first-degree aggravated manslaughter. Then Jones must serve five additional years of incarceration for being in unlawful possession of a handgun in another case unrelated to the homicide, records show.

Jones, 28, of Trenton, admits he shot and killed Thompson on Oct. 31, 2014. The Halloween homicide occurred in Trenton’s West Ward.

Police found Thompson lying on the ground in the 200 block of Coolidge Avenue suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Police recovered 10 shell casings and a live round from the crime scene, and Thompson later died at the hospital, authorities said.

Jones was out on bail on weapons offenses at the time of the shooting, records show. He posted 10 percent of $50,000 cash bail on April 25, 2014, and then killed Thompson several months later.

Originally charged with murder and weapons offenses, Jones pleaded guilty Feb. 14 to aggravated manslaughter. He received 1,617 days of jail credit for being in custody from Nov. 7, 2014, to April 11, 2019.

Jones is currently incarcerated at South Woods State Prison and is scheduled to be released in 2023, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

Superior Court Judge Robert Bingham II sentenced Jones April 12 for his crimes in the homicide and unrelated weapons possession cases. In addition to confessing to manslaughter, he pleaded guilty to second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun in the other case, admitting he unlawfully packed heat in Trenton on April 18, 2014.

The homicide victim Thompson was the uncle of 23-year-old Naquan Ellis who was shot and killed in June 2014 at the North 25 Housing complex off of Calhoun Street.

Trenton killers plead guilty, go to prison for slaying Devahje Bing

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 22:22:21 -0400

The co-defendants who shot and killed 19-year-old Devahje Bing in 2013 are now state prisoners.

Tahj Laws, 22, and Kareem McNeil, 28, have each pleaded guilty for their roles in the homicide and are serving hard time in state prison, records show.

(From left) Tahj Laws and Kareem McNeil

A Superior Court judge formally punished the duo last month, sentencing Laws to 18 years of incarceration and McNeil to 10 years behind bars.

The shooting occurred about 5 p.m. May 25, 2013, at Trenton’s Oakland Park Apartments following a verbal argument between Laws and Bing. Laws escalated the conflict by obtaining a handgun from McNeil, who willingly handed over the weapon, authorities said.

Laws fired several shots from the weapon, striking Bing several times in the upper torso, prosecutors said. The victim later died at the hospital.

Devahje Bing

Police arrested Laws on May 27, 2013, two days after the slaying. He was a 16-year-old juvenile on electronically monitored house arrest at the time, authorities said.

McNeil, a convicted burglar, was 22 and serving non-custodial probation at the time of the homicide, records show. Police arrested him several weeks later.

A grand jury handed up an indictment in September 2014 charging Laws and McNeil with murder and weapons offenses. Both men pleaded guilty last September, Laws confessing to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and McNeil owning responsibility for second-degree reckless manslaughter, records show. Both of the killers are from Trenton.

In addition to their prison sentences, both defendants have been ordered to pay $18,637 in restitution joint and several. Most of that money will compensate the Bing family for their loss, according to the judgment of conviction.

Laws has been awarded 2,185 days of jail credit for being in custody from May 27, 2013, to May 20, 2019. He is currently incarcerated at the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility and is scheduled to be released from prison on Sept. 12, 2028, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

McNeil has been awarded 2,161 days of jail credit for being in custody from June 20, 2013, to May 20, 2019. He is currently incarcerated at South Woods State Prison with a parole eligibility date of Dec. 19, 2021, and a maximum release date of June 29, 2022, according to the DOC.

Upon release from state prison, McNeil will be subjected to three years of parole supervision and Laws will be subjected to five years of parole supervision. Mercer County Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw sentenced both men on May 21.

Murder rocks Bellevue Avenue in Trenton Wednesday evening

Trentonian Staff — Wed, 22 May 2019 22:21:52 -0400

TRENTON — A city man was gunned down Wednesday evening on the first block of Bellevue Ave and pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at a local hospital, police said

Sources say the victim was shot several times and that the Mercer County Homicide Task Force was investigating, but no official confirmation was available about details.

Mercer County Prosecutor's Office confirmed late Wednesday night that 18-year-old Taquan Ellerbe was found in the rear of a building on the first block of Bellevue Ave after police responded to a 9-1-1 call for a male shot and activation of the Shotspotter system.

Ellerbe was transported to Capital Health Fuld for "several gunshot wounds" and was pronounced deceased just before 6 p.m.

Officials said that the man's family was at the hospital and informed of his death.

Mayor Reed Gusciora weighed in Wednesday evening. “It’s a tragedy for all Trentonians and indicative of gun violence across the country in urban America,” Gusciora said. “We will continue to step up law enforcement under the new Police Director and address the root causes of indiscriminate shootings involving young persons in our neighborhoods. One shooting is one too many in our city.”

Sources have identified the victim as a relative of mayoral aide Andrew Bobbitt. Bobbitt has worked for Mayors Doug Palmer, Eric Jackson, and Gusciora.

Screenshot of the first block of Bellevue Avenue in Trenton where Taquan Ellerbe was shot and killed Wednesday, May 22, 2019.

This is the fifth homicide in Trenton this year, but May has been a deadly month in and around the capital city.

Willie West, 69, of Ewing, was shot in the stomach with a sawed-off shotgun on the first block of Hart Avenue just before 7:20 Saturday night, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said. He was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later.

Maurice Rowe, 30, of Trenton, was shot to death Tuesday, May 7, near Oakland and Hoffman avenues.

The brazen shooting was interrupted by Trenton Police street crime detectives Stephen Szbanz and John Carrigg who were responding to an unrelated call on Hoffman Avenue when they heard gunshots, prosecutors said.

Rowe was killed five days after 40-year-old Javier Morales was gunned down, with his back turned, near Hudson and Pearl streets.

Trenton musician Jamar Tucker was also murdered this month when he was found shot to death in Langhorne on his birthday, May 10.

Leydi Lemos-Delgado, 32, of Hamilton was stabbed to death in her Hamilton home Sunday, May 12.

Slain Trenton rapper Jamar Tucker dies by gun violence, body found in Pennsylvania

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Sat, 11 May 2019 17:53:15 -0400

Jamar Tucker

Jamar Tucker, an up-and-coming rapper from Trenton, was shot and killed on his birthday, The Trentonian has learned.

Tucker, who turned 36 on Friday, is the deceased gunshot victim whose body was found in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, authorities confirmed.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office says Tucker was found dead in the early morning hours of Friday in the 300 block of South Bellevue Avenue. An autopsy conducted by the Bucks County Coroner’s Office determined Tucker died of a gunshot wound, authorities said Saturday in a news release.

Bucks County detectives were searching for a vehicle belonging to Tucker, a black 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which is currently unaccounted for as of Saturday afternoon, according to the Bucks DA’s Office. The vehicle had New Jersey registration plates bearing T69HDG.

Homicide victim Jamar Tucker of Trenton is seen standing beside his 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which police were looking for on May 11, 2019, as part of their homicide investigation.

Tucker’s family and friends in Trenton and beyond were mourning his loss on social media.

“Happy birthday Champ, may you R.I.P.,” Samuel Council Jr. wrote in a Facebook comment.

Known by the stage name Tuck and the Instagram handle jtuck609, Tucker was affiliated with Block Life Entertainment and has official music videos featured on YouTube.

“Just a kid from a dark place called Trenton, NJ shining my light on the world,” Tucker says in his Instagram profile.

It’s not clear what circumstances led to Tucker’s violent death, but he appeared to be on a positive track as a hip-hop lyricist.

“I represented him on some stuff that happened many years ago, and since then I have known him as an up-and-coming rap star,” defense attorney John “Jack” Furlong said Saturday of Tucker. “Jamar was a guy who was trying to find his way out of the streets, and I thought he succeeded.”

Furlong described Tucker as a “man of his word” and a “reliable guy.” He learned about the rapper’s untimely demise upon receiving a “frantic phone call” from Tucker’s mom.

“I don’t like having these conversations with parents who have to bury their children,” Furlong said Saturday in an interview with The Trentonian. “We always want to be children burying parents, not the other way around. I confess I am being worn down by the resort to bullets. We are not going to be able to shoot our way out of our differences.”

“Jamar Tucker was not a hardcore street guy,” Furlong added. “He did not live the thug life. He is just a guy who grew up in Trenton and had one or two scrapes with the law.”

Tucker was arrested in 2006 on drug distribution charges and served time behind bars. He was last sentenced to probation in 2013 for resisting arrest, court records show.

Tucker’s violent death may have been related to a “power struggle regarding drug dealing in North Trenton,” according to a police source.

“I just know a man is dead from a gunshot wound,” Furlong said. “His death comes to me as a vivid reminder that the availability of guns and bullets is too casual, too easy for people with no prospects to solve their disputes.”

No arrests have been announced in the homicide as of Saturday afternoon. Police did not release any suspect descriptions.

Anyone with information on the slaying or information on the whereabouts of Tucker’s Jeep Grand Cherokee is urged to contact Bucks County Detectives at (215) 348-6354 or to submit tips to Buckscrimetips@buckscounty.org.

Trentonian staff writer Isaac Avilucea contributed to this report.

3 men charged in murder of Trenton teen Shaela Johnson

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 20:52:58 -0400

A brutal murder case has finally been solved.

Three defendants have been charged in connection with the November 2018 slaying of 19-year-old Shaela Johnson and the subsequent torching of the suspected getaway vehicle.

Nazier Francois (left) and Keith Hamilton are two of the three defendants charged in connection with the November 2018 murder of 19-year-old Trenton woman Shaela Johnson.

Nazier “Fredo” Francois and Watson “Boone” George have each been charged with first-degree accomplice liability felony murder while the third defendant, Keith S. Hamilton, has been charged with second-degree conspiracy to commit aggravated arson and fourth-degree conspiracy to destroy physical evidence.

Francois, 20, of Trenton, and George, 19, of Ewing, are accused of being the gunmen who shot and killed Johnson in broad daylight. The victim was shot at least 14 times by two gunmen who sprayed up the 800 block of Stuyvesant Avenue outside of a deli around 2:15 p.m. Nov. 27, 2018. She was on probation at the time of her violent death.

Shaela Johnson was murdered in Trenton Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018.

Hamilton, 21, of Trenton, is accused of aiding and abetting Francois and George in the plot to set the getaway vehicle on fire following the grisly homicide.

Authorities say the 2012 Nissan Maxima used by the alleged killers was stolen out of Hamilton on Nov. 19, 2018. Police later found the car engulfed in flames near the intersection of East Howell and Franklin streets not long after the deadly shooting. Officials say the fire was lit intentionally.

Charging documents

Authorities on April 3 filed separate complaint warrants charging Francois, George and Hamilton in connection with the murder of Johnson and the subsequent arson that destroyed a Nissan.

Francois and George face 18 criminal offenses, including first-degree accomplice liability murder and numerous weapons offenses. Hamilton has been hammered with six offenses charging him as an accomplice to arson and evidence tampering, according to court records.

Francois has been incarcerated at the Mercer County Correction Center without bail since April 5 following his arrest last Thursday. A Superior Court judge on Wednesday ordered Francois to be detained on pretrial detention, records show. Francois is represented by defense attorney Mark G. Davis.

Court records show George has retained John Furlong as his defense attorney effective Wednesday in connection with the murder case. George has another pending case on his rap sheet, for Trooper Chris Talar of the New Jersey State Police arrested George Feb. 21 in Ewing, charging him with weapons offenses, receiving stolen property and unlawful possession of drugs, records show.

Hamilton has been in jail since March 8 for allegedly violating probation. He pleaded guilty in a weapons case last year and was sentenced to five years of probation, according to public records. Hamilton is represented by public defender Nicole Carlo in the murder case and has a detention hearing scheduled for Friday.

While three people have been charged in connection with the homicide and arson effective April 3, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office has not immediately announced the charges against the trio. The office has released some information about Francois and Hamilton but has not divulged any details about George’s alleged role in the slaying as of Wednesday.

Sources say Johnson appeared to be the target of the grisly shooting, as one gunman stood over her and fired a few rounds while she was on the ground, striking her in the arms, chest and head. Video shows a second gunman chase a second victim down the street, but it was unclear whether that person was struck by gunfire.

Johnson was reportedly taken to the hospital via a pickup truck, rushed into emergency surgery and later pronounced dead. She was actually one of six people arrested in April 2017 following the attempted killing of Zaire Jackson, who in February 2017 was acquitted of murder charges in connection with the 2012 shooting death of Irvin “Swirv” Jackson.

Johnson and others were charged with weapons offenses after police found them in a nearby apartment with guns shortly after Zaire Jackson was shot in the stomach two years ago.

After a judge released the group from jail on the weapons offenses, Johnson was arrested seven months later for allegedly dealing heroin. She was executed in a brazen shooting last November at the age of 19.

The police investigation revealed numerous .45 and .40 caliber shell casings in the intersection of Stuyvesant and Hoffman avenues, as well as on the sidewalk and in the entryway of a deli on Stuyvesant Avenue in Trenton’s West Ward, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

Area surveillance footage showed two males exiting a Nissan Maxima and firing at the victim. Police located the vehicle engulfed in flames at the intersection of Howell and Franklin streets a few hours later, authorities confirmed in a news release.

The case remains under investigation. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at (609) 989-6406. Information can also be emailed to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.

Trenton man arrested for for 2018 daylight murder of 19-year-old Shaela Johnson

John Berry — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 16:50:38 -0400

Nazier Francois

TRENTON — A city man has been arrested for the murder of 19-year-old Shaela Johnson.

Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday that Nazier Francois, of Chambers Street, is charged with murder and numerous other offenses, including attempted murder, conspiracy, aggravated assault, aggravated arson, weapons and tampering with evidence, related to the November 27, 2018 shooting death of Johnson.

The daylight killing of Johnson shocked the city as surveillance video showed two men jump out of a vehicle and gun down a woman, later identified as Johnson, in front of a deli on the 800 block of Stuyvesant Ave.

Law enforcement sources said at the time that she was shot approximately 14 times.

Sources said Johnson appeared to be the target of the shooting, as one gunman stood over her and fired a few rounds while she was on the ground, striking her in the arms, chest, and head.

A woman was gunned down in the 800 block of Stuyvesant Avenue Tuesday, November 27, 2018. (Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman - Trentonian)

The video shows a second gunman chase a second victim down the street, but it’s unclear whether that person was struck by gunfire, according to police.

Johnson was reportedly taken to the hospital via a pickup truck, rushed into emergency surgery and later pronounced dead.

Authorities say the 2012 Nissan Maxima used by the gunmen was stolen out of Hamilton on November 19. After the murder, police found the car engulfed in flames near the intersection of East Howell and Franklin streets. Officials say the fire was lit intentionally.

The investigation is ongoing. The second suspect has not been arrested. Anyone with information is asked to contact the MCHTF at (609) 989-6406. Information can also be emailed to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.

Johnson was one of six people arrested in April of 2017 following the attempted killing of Zaire Jackson, who was acquitted of murder charges in connection with the 2012 death of Irvin “Swirv” Jackson. Johnson and others were charged with weapons offenses after police found them in a nearby apartment with guns shortly after Zaire was shot in the stomach.

After a judge released the group from jail on the weapons offenses, Johnson was arrested seven months later for dealing heroin.

Court records show Johnson was on probation at the time of her death.

Shaela Johnson

Police investigate Trenton's final murder of 2018, which left a woman dead in November. (Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman - Trentonian)

Shaela Johnson was murdered in Trenton Tuesday.

Convicted killer gets 47 years in Trenton murder case, vows to appeal

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 18:54:17 -0400

Edward Kevin Nock (contributed photo)

Convicted murderer Isaac Grey smiled and blew kisses Friday after a judge had sentenced him to more than 40 years of incarceration.

Despite being convicted of stabbing and killing Edward Nock, the defendant declared he is not the perpetrator who had attacked the victim at knifepoint.

“Your honor, I am no bad guy,” he told the court on Friday. “I am innocent, your honor. I didn’t do it, but I do take blame for letting other individuals in the house and letting it get out of hand.”

Grey lived at the Nock residence and invited or enabled other people to crash at Nock’s Beakes Street apartment on the night of the murder. The slaying occurred about 9:45 p.m. June 30, 2015, after hours of drinking and arguments.

“I apologize deeply to the family,” Grey said Friday, “because as a young man I should have known better, but I am human and I made a mistake.”

A trial jury in January found Grey guilty of murder, witness tampering and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose for allegedly stabbing and killing 43-year-old Nock at Trenton’s Donnelly Homes housing complex.

Doris Nock, the victim’s mother, thanked Grey on Friday, saying his homicidal actions from 2015 has made the Nock family “much stronger.”

Other relatives and friends described Edward Nock as “honest” and “caring” and said he “didn’t deserve to go out the way he did.”

When police were dispatched to Nock’s apartment on the night of the murder, they found him lying on the floor suffering from a stab wound to the abdomen. Medics rushed Nock to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The killer fled from the murder scene, but authorities tracked down Grey and arrested him for the crime in Philadelphia two days after the homicide.

Grey, 35, of Trenton, was found guilty of first-degree murder on Jan. 30. The trial jury also convicted him of witness tampering, finding the defendant had attempted to bribe a witness in the case.

At the sentencing hearing on Friday, the prosecution argued for an appropriate punishment while the defense argued for leniency.

Mercer County Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier sentenced Grey to 40 years of incarceration on the murder conviction and seven years of incarceration for the witness tampering. Grey must serve at least 34 years or 85 percent of the term behind bars on the murder conviction to be followed by seven consecutive years of continued imprisonment. New Jersey state law requires his witness tampering and murder sentences to be served consecutively, which amounts to 47 years of total incarceration in this case.

Grey received nearly 1,400 days of jail credit, which effectively reduces his prison sentence by that amount. The judge also ordered him to pay $5,000 in restitution to the victim’s wife to reimburse her for funeral costs. The judge took into account that Grey had six prior upper court convictions, including one for aggravated assault, as well as three municipal court convictions and a history of juvenile delinquency.

One of Grey’s siblings, a sister from Delaware, attended Friday’s sentencing hearing and told the court that “my brother is a kindhearted person” and “I love my brother to death.”

Wearing a beige jacket over his orange jumpsuit, Grey during much of the sentencing hearing had a smirk on his face and at times looked back at his sister with affection. After the judge handed down the prison sentence, Grey blew kisses and waved to his sister before the sheriff’s officers escorted him out of the courtroom.

“I think the judge put a lot of thought into this one,” defense attorney Mark Davis said of the prison sentence. “If Isaac Grey was in fact guilty this would be a fair and reasonable sentence. We intend to appeal, because he is not the one who committed the murder.”

Davis said his client never wanted Nock to get killed. “That was a friend of his,” he told the court. “That was the last thing he wanted to happen on that day.”