The suspect in a Newark NJ stabbing death has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The 40-year-old suspect made a brief appearance in Essex County Superior Court to enter not guilty pleas to a homicide charge. He also pleaded not guilty to several weapons offenses.
The suspect reportedly did not speak during his court appearance; instead, he let his defense attorney enter the pleas on his behalf.
After appearing in court, the suspect was taken back to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, where he is being held on $750,000 cash bond.
The suspect is accused of stabbing a 34-year-old woman to death in her apartment in September. The suspect and the woman reportedly lived in separate residences in an apartment complex located on the 300 block of Goldsmith Avenue in Newark. Although the suspects allegedly knew each other, it is not believed that they had a relationship.
The victim lived with her one-year-old daughter. Thankfully, the daughter was unharmed in the attack.
If the suspect is convicted of first degree murder, he could end up spending the rest of his life behind bars. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3, homicide is a first degree felony. Although first degree felonies are ordinarily punishable by a maximum of 20 years in NJ State Prison, homicide is treated differently under the New Jersey Criminal Code. Anyone who is convicted of first degree homicide in New Jersey may be sentenced to life in state prison, with a minimum sentence of 30 years.
For more information about this case, see the NJ.com article entitled “Man Pleads Not Guilty in Stabbing Death of Newark Mother.”
