Hours before the police officer he is suspected of killing was to be buried, a teenager was charged Thursday with a different murder.
Jahmell Crockam, 19, of Lakewood already faces murder charges in the shooting death Friday of Lakewood Patrolman Christopher Matlosz.
Thursday morning, as mourners were gathering in the church for the officer’s funeral, authorities said Crockam and another man were charged with the Oct. 15 shooting death of Justin Williams, whose body was found dumped on a street corner.
Information leading to the new murder charge was developed as police investigated the slaying of the officer.
The new charges were made public as thousands of mourners, including police officers from across the country, streamed into this community near the Jersey shore to say goodbye to Matlosz, who was shot to death last week behind the wheel of his patrol car.
Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford said Crockam and another man accompanied Williams to a location Oct. 15, where Williams was shot to death.
Prosecutors did not specify which defendant they believe pulled the trigger, but said both men are legally responsible for the killing, and both were charged with murder. They are being held at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River.
More than 5,000 police officers were gathered to attend the funeral Mass at St. Mary of the Lake Roman Catholic Church, a spokesman for the state Policemen’s Benevolent Association said.
Full photo and video coverage from the funeral will be posted later today.
(Source: APP)
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One Response
I hate to say it, but there are people in the LPD who aren’t doing their jobs. Why did it take the killing of an innocent police officer to finaly put the pieces together? This miscreant should have been behind bars way long ago. Living here -things have got to change. Get rid of the criminal illegals, close down all the gangs that have a free reign here. While it might be nice that the yeshiva oilam came out for the funeral, it doesn’t mean the people who live in or close to the bad neighborhoods will be safer from now on. I think the police chief does a good job, but there is definitely something wrong here- that the town hasn’t been fighting crime the way it should be done. It might be the town’s commitee or certain officers fault, but turning the other cheek of what goes in a lot of areas in town has got to stop!