Police process a murder scene in the 300 block of St. Joes Avenue. June 7, 2015 (Penny Ray - Trentonian)

Several evidence placards littered the sidewalk and front porch of a city home as a half a dozen law enforcement officials processed a crime scene early Sunday morning.

Two people stood on the corner of Girard and St. Joes avenues watching law enforcement do their jobs. The citizens refused to talk, but the somber expression on their faces was enough to know that the morning’s events affected them. A handful of others stopped by the intersection over the course of about 30 minutes. Each of them had the same look on their face and no one said a word. They didn’t need to speak. The scene itself was enough to know that another person was murdered in Trenton.

Ronnie Livingston (Contributed photo)

Prosecutors investigating the case said police were patrolling the city around 2:15 a.m. Sunday when they heard several gunshots. As the officers were trying to locate the shooting, ShotSpotter indicated that shots were fired on Girard Avenue.

When police reached the location of the shooting, they found a man later identified as 24-year-old Ronnie Livingston lying on the sidewalk in the 300 block of St. Joes Avenue. Prosecutors say Livingston suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are also investigating a shooting that occurred about four hours prior to the murder. Around 10:20 p.m. Saturday, police say, a 15-year-old male was shot while in the first block of Bellevue Avenue. The victim told police that he was with several friends on Fairway Drive when he decided to walk to a store on Bellevue. As the victim walked back to Fairway, he heard gunfire. He then started running, police say, and felt pain in his ankle. He then realized that he had been shot, and a family member took him to the hospital, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the right ankle.

Sunday’s murder marks the second time in as many weeks that someone was killed near St. Joes Avenue. On the morning of May 31, Paris France Way was found near the intersection of St. Joes and Sherman avenues suffering from multiple stab wounds; he later died at the hospital.

Ronnie Livingston with his daughter (Contributed photo)

This year’s homicide toll is now nine.

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force is investigating Livingston's death. Anyone with information about the killing is asked to call (609) 989-6406. Or use the Trenton police confidential tip line at (609) 989-3663. Tipsters may also call the Trenton Crime Stoppers tipline at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.

Randy Kareem Washington

A city man accused of killing two people last year has been indicted in connection with one of the cases.

Randy Washington, 34, was recently indicted on charges of murder, related weapons offenses, resisting arrest, obstructing the administration of law and criminal trespass in connection with the shooting death of 64-year-old Silas Johnson. Washington remains in jail on $2.3 million bail.

Johnson was gunned down near the intersection of Market Street and the Route 1 overpass on the morning of Oct. 29. When police arrived on-scene, they found him lying on the ground suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Johnson was then taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Witnesses told police that Washington was in a struggle with Johnson when he produced a handgun and fired several times. Police apprehended Washington on Conover Alley shortly after the shooting.

According to prosecutors, evidence collected at the Market Street crime scene also linked Washington to the July 30 murder of George Jamison. Police say Jamison was shot once in the back while sitting on a bus stop bench in front of 18 North Broad Street. The murder was reported as a robbery gone awry, and witnesses told police they saw a lone black male bicycling away from the crime scene shortly after the shooting.

Washington is also charged in connection with five robberies that occurred in the city between July and October last year.

Charlotte Carman

A city woman was arrested last week and charged with murder in connection with the stabbing death of Paris France Way.

Charlotte Carman, 38, is charged with murder, felony murder, robbery, weapons offenses and criminal mischief in connection with Way’s death.

According to prosecutors in the case, around 2 a.m. on May 31, police were dispatched to the corner of Sherman and St. Joes avenues and found 33-year-old Way lying in the intersection suffering from multiple stab wounds to the chest. Way later died at the hospital.

Prosecutors say the investigation revealed that Way and a female neighbor arrived on Sherman Avenue shortly before the murder, and after exiting the vehicle and walking toward their separate homes, Carman approached Way, which sparked a physical altercation.

Prosecutors say Carman slashed all of the tires on a Hyundai Sonata that was driven by Way, and then stabbed him in the chest multiple times. Carman also took Way’s cellphone, prosecutors say, along with $180 he had in his pocket.

Carman was arrested in New Brunswick early Friday evening by members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force. She is being held in jail on $770,000 cash or bond bail.

Undeterred by a possible life sentence if he is found guilty by a jury, Shaheed Brown, who has repeatedly clamored for a speedy trial in the slaying of another man outside a city bar last year, is getting his wish.

Prosecutors say this surveillance photo shows Shaheed Brown (left) and Enrico Smalley Jr. minutes before Smalley was gunned down outside of La Guira Bar on July 12, 2014.

He could be tried for the murder of Enrico Smalley Jr. as early as September, The Trentonian has learned.

At a hearing last month, Brown, who has maintained his innocence, rejected prosecutors’ final plea offer of 45 years if he admitted fatally shooting Smalley outside of La Guira Bar in July 2014.

No official date has been set for the trial, which is expected to last up to four weeks.

But earlier this month, Brown’s case was transferred from Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier to Superior Court Judge Andrew Smithson, an idea that was first floated at Brown’s hearing last month.

Attorneys involved in the case were unable to speak about the move because of a gag order, but it is apparent it was done to accommodate Brown’s request for a trial date sooner rather than later.

With the retired Smithson taking over the case, that eases the burden on Billmeier, whose heavy docket usually includes presiding over some of the county’s most violent cases.

Enrico Smalley Jr.

In State v. Brown, Smithson inherits a highly contentious case that has generated a fair amount of local publicity. It has been marked by constant in- and out-of-court jousting between the attorneys and startling revelations, such as prosecutors’ contention that the murder weapon used to kill Smalley was linked with a separate homicide in Essex County and two shootings in Trenton.

Assistant Prosecutor Brian McCauley did not outright accuse Brown of being involved in the Essex County murder but pointed out it occurred around the same time Brown was believed to be in the county.

That was the latest bombshell, but it wasn’t the first, which belongs to Brown’s attorney, Edward Heyburn.

Heyburn released a video to The Trentonian he said was proof someone other than Brown killed Smalley.

The video showed a man known only as “King,” appearing to reach for something tucked into the left side of his waistband moments before Smalley was shot.

Heyburn said police did not attempt to interview the man in order to rule him out as a suspect.

The release of the video rankled McCauley, who contended it chilled witness cooperation. A judge responded by issuing a gag order on the attorneys and sealing the court file from the public purview.

Brown has been held in lieu of $1 million bail since he was arrested for Smalley’s murder in Newark in August 2014. A pretrial conference is set for July 30.

Keith Wells Holmes

The murder case against Keith Wells-Holmes appears to rely centrally on video surveillance and the word of a Mercer County detective.

Absent a clear-cut motive and the murder weapon, a 9 mm luger which was never recovered, prosecutors could be looking to Wells-Holmes’ alleged getaway driver, Zihqwan “Woody” Clemens, and a jailhouse informant known on the streets as “Murder Mike” to bolster their case against the man they believed killed Trenton graffiti artist Andre Corbett.

The two could testify later this week, prosecutors said as trial wrapped up for the day Monday.

“Murder Mike’s” government name is Michael Barnes, a man with a felonious past who prosecutors say is free these days. It’s unclear how he secured that freedom, but Assistant Prosecutor James Scott said any agreement Barnes’ has with the state regarding his cooperation was turned over to Wells-Holmes’ attorney, Caroline Turner.

Scott also told the court there was an unspecified issue with Barnes’ potential testimony he did not want to address in the presence of Wells-Holmes but he had informed the defendant’s attorney about it. Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier did not inquire further.

Clemens is an unknown in this trial. As recently as last October, he had indicated to the court he wanted to be tried alongside Wells-Holmes. He was severed after the judge ruled having the defendants tried together posed significant legal hurdles.

It’s unclear what he would say or be allowed to say if he took the stand.

Other potential state witnesses include Isiah Greene, who is incarcerated on unrelated murder and attempted murder charges; and Marquise Risher, who is also jailed on drug charges.

Scott said Greene, Risher and Clemens would have to testify at a hearing outside the jury’s presence, tentatively slated for Wednesday, before they took the stand in front of jurors.

Turner’s defense that her client is innocent could come down to pivotal cross examinations of the three men, assuming they testify. She hinted at the state’s reliance on unsavory people in a strong opening statement in contending two of them – Risher and Greene – were inside a gold-colored van linked with the slaying and captured on surveillance frequenting a grocery mart near the murder on the same day Corbett was killed. Since then, she has contended police did not do their due diligence in examining whether one was a more likely suspect and has accused investigators of focusing on her client early on and not following other leads.

Turner spent most of Monday morning cross-examining Bryan Cottrell, a lead detective in the murder case and one of the state’s central witnesses. He is expected to be recalled to the witness stand later this week to provide additional testimony, although it’s unclear what that testimony will focus on this time around.

Now-retired Trenton Police crime detective Robert Paccillo also took the stand and told the jury he recovered five spent shell casings from a 9 mm luger used in Corbett’s murder. Investigators never recovered the handgun, prosecutors said.

The weapon the damage did was put into context by county medical examiner, Dr. Raafat Ahmad, who testified Corbett succumbed to injuries he sustained after he was shot four times.

Jurors were shown graphic autopsy photos depicting gunshot wounds to Corbett’s chest and other areas. A family member stepped out of the courtroom when the photos were put up on an overhead projector.

Ahmad said a spent bullet was recovered in the victim’s clothing during the autopsy. Another struck and fractured Corbett’s jaw, passing through his mouth before exiting behind his left ear. Corbett’s lungs were pierced by rounds, and he choked on his own blood while he lay dying on the blood-stained pavement while another man callously stepped over him and others gathered around his body.

Admitted drug dealer and convicted felon Michael Barnes said on the stand Tuesday he planned to disregard prosecutors’ subpoena to testify in the murder trial of a Trenton man accused of gunning down city graffiti artist Andre Corbett.

He testified that he decided against absconding after friends told him he was mentioned in newspaper articles in which the attorney for defendant Keith Wells-Holmes attacked Barnes’ credibility and referred to him as a “workhouse snitch.”

“I got your memo in the newspaper,” Barnes told defense attorney Caroline Turner. “I was gonna run from the truth. I wasn’t going to come to the subpoena.”

Barnes, apparently anticipating the defense’s unflattering portrayal of him as a man looking to cash in a bargaining chip with prosecutors, added he would spend significant time behind bars if it brought back Corbett, a man he knew for more than a decade.

Turner noted in her cross examination Barnes referred to the victim as a “crackhead,” which she contends is what Barnes really thought of Corbett. Turner said Barnes did not bother to step forward with information about Corbett’s killer until a year after the murder, when he found himself jailed on a litany of criminal charges.

Sometimes derisive and sometimes deadpan, Barnes fought back against Turner’s sardonic wit, which was more biting than an English lemon tart. During one testy exchange, Turner accused the witness of “getting smart” with her; she was immediately cut off and scolded by Judge Robert Billmeier.

Sometimes it was unclear whether the man known as on the streets as “Murder Mike,” from his time in the Sex, Money, Murder sect of the Bloods street gang, was truly oblivious or simply putting on a Broadway-like show for the jury.

For example, when Turner asked him whether he enjoyed his time in jail, Barnes responded that it was “all right.” Turner pressed him up about myriad diseases one could contract behind bars.

“I’m straight,” Barnes responded, pointing out his sexual orientation for jurors.

His richest callout of Turner, however, sounded like a bit of grandstanding considering he claimed he was willing to jeopardize the deal he had cut with prosecutors for probation to resolve charges of aggravated assault, resisting and weapons offenses.

In truth, Barnes wasn’t on the stand to talk about the crimes he has committed over the years. He was there to point the finger, literally, at Wells-Homes for Corbett’s murder.

When Assistant Prosecutor James Scott asked the witness who killed Corbett, Barnes responded emphatically.

“Him,” he said, pointing toward Wells-Holmes. “I’m 100 percent sure.”

Barnes lived at the Oakland Street apartment complex where Corbett was shot. He said he was near a glass-plated door of one of the apartment units staring out at Hoffman Avenue scanning for police because he was dealing drugs at the time of the shooting.

He turned in the direction of the shots and caught a glimpse of the killer’s face, which was obscured by a dark cone-shaped hoodie that was rolled back. He recognized the man as “Zeek’s cousin.” Zeek lived a few doors down from him, Barnes said, and the defendant regularly visited.

Barnes said he and Wells-Holmes had even played Oak, a basketball game similar to 21. Barnes said Wells-Holmes would “go up strong” with his left hand – in contrast with the right-handed shooter -- during the game he described as “every man for himself.”

“That’s what it appears to be here, right?” Turner shot back. “Every man for himself?”

Scott loudly objected to the question, and the attorneys were immediately roped into sidebar by the judge.

Turner spent the bulk of her cross examination of Barnes going over his rap sheet, which includes convictions for theft and an arrest for weapons trafficking.

Barnes was one of several people charged in 2012 as part of Operation Gravedigger, an investigation by state and city police into weapon sales near funeral homes. Barnes admitted selling a handgun.

“I’m no angel,” he said.

The alleged getaway driver of Keith Wells-Holmes has been

Keith Wells Holmes

granted immunity to testify in Wells-Holmes' murder trial, a rare move that required permission from the state Attorney General's Office, prosecutors said.

Zihqwan Clemens took the stand at a hearing outside the jury’s presence Wednesday morning and repeatedly responded to prosecutors’ questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself.

Clemens is accused of driving a gold Ford Windstar van on the day of Trenton graffiti artist Andre Corbett was gunned down outside an apartment complex on the corner of Hoffman Avenue and Oakland Street. He has been offered a plea deal calling for a 30-year sentence for his alleged role in the murder, prosecutors have said.

Information relayed to 911 dispatchers was that the shooter got into a similar van with temporary tags, prosecutors have said. The van was registered to Clemens’ girlfriend, according to testimony.

Clemens initially refused to respond to prosecutors’ questions until he was granted immunity. He did respond to certain questions from defense attorney Caroline Turner before immunity was extended to him, and his answers appeared to exonerate Wells-Holmes for the murder.

Turner asked the witness if he realized jurors would likely be played portions of his interview with police two days after Corbett was shot to death.

Clemens implicated his codefendant as the shooter during that five-hour interview with police, prosecutors have said. But Clemens said Wednesday for the first time he had not been truthful with investigators.

He paused and looked at his attorney for guidance when he was asked directly if Wells-Holmes killed Corbett. Turner said she would rephrase her question.

“That you know of did Keith Wells-Holmes kill Andre Corbett?”

“No,” Clemens said.

“You said your statement was lies,” Turner asked.

“Yes,” Clemens responded.

“Do you know for a fact that Keith Wells-Holmes did not kill Andre Corbett?” Turner asked.

“I would like to assert my Fifth Amendment right,” Clemens said.

After Turner finished questioning the witness, Assistant Prosecutor James Scott asked the court to grant Clemens immunity to testify. Judge Robert Billmeier granted immunity, which protects Clemens from being prosecuted for anything he says on the stand.

Clemens is being tried separately from Wells-Holmes, but prosecutors cannot use any of his testimony at his own trial, according to the order. The immunity order does not cover Clemens if prosecutors can prove he perjured himself on the stand or provided false swearing, Scott said.

Immunity is rarely granted, Scott said, and prosecutors needed permission from state Attorney General John Hoffman for the immunity order. Acting Prosecutor Angelo Onofri requested the immunity order on behalf of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Scott said.

The trial resumes this afternoon.

Check back later for an updated version of this story.

Bleary eyed attorneys walked out of court Wednesday following

Keith Wells Holmes

an exhausting, drama-filled day in the murder trial of Keith Wells-Holmes that required them to work through part of their lunch hour.

Tempers flared as a judge wagged his finger at a defense attorney. Witnesses invoked their constitutional rights to avoid self-incrimination. And Wells-Holmes’ codefendant, who is being tried separately, was granted immunity by a judge to testify against Wells-Holmes but ended up exonerating him for the first time in front of the jury.

An attorney who shall remain nameless apprised by multiple people who participated in and sat in on the trial Wednesday said everyone candidly described the proceedings the same way: “S--t show.”

Most of it happened outside the presence of the jury, which was sequestered away in the deliberation room while attorneys from both sides hammered numerous legal obstacles.

It remains to be seen whether a jury believes alleged getaway driver Zihqwan Clemens’ testimony as attorneys from both sides agree he has credibility issues and repeatedly lied to authorities in a Jan. 23, 2013 interview two days after Trenton graffiti artist Andre Corbett was gunned down outside an apartment complex on the corner of Hoffman Avenue and Oakland Street.

Clemens, who is known as “Woodiey,” initially took the stand at a hearing outside the jury’s presence and repeatedly responded to prosecutors’ questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself.

Clemens has been offered a plea deal calling for a 30-year sentence for his alleged role in the murder, prosecutors have said. Prosecutors believe he drove Wells-Holmes to and from the murder scene.

After a judge granted Clemens immunity, which protected him from having his

Zihqwan Clemens

testimony used against him at his trial, he testified Wells-Holmes paid him $5 to drive him over to “his people’s house” on Oakland Street sometime on the morning of Jan. 21, 2013. He said Wells-Holmes went into the house, returned after about 10 minutes and he drove him to another part of the city and dropped him off.

Clemens was asked directly if Wells-Holmes killed Corbett and responded that he did not, which conflicted with a prior taped statement he gave to authorities where he identified Wells-Holmes as the shooter. He was not asked whether he knew the true identity of the shooter if it was not Wells-Holmes.

Assistant Prosecutor James Scott focused on Clemens’ interview with authorities on his direct examination.

Clemens acknowledged on the day Corbett was killed he was driving around a gold Ford Windstar authorities say was linked to the murder. But he disputed being anywhere near the murder scene at the time Corbett was shot.

That contradicted with what he told police during his interview, which could be played for jurors later this week. Turner has asked that jurors watch Clemens’ entire five-hour interview so they can get a flavor for his repeated lies, which the defense attorney went over one by one during her cross examination.

Clemens acknowledged he initially lied to authorities when he claimed he did not know the owner of the van. The van was registered to his girlfriend, according to testimony.

Those lies were at the center of a Gross hearing earlier in the day as attorneys were saddled with figuring out how to reconcile Clemens’ testimony with his past statement to law enforcement.

Clemens had previously admitted hearing gunshots and seeing Wells-Holmes run back toward his van, prosecutors said. A detective testified earlier in the trial the van was seen on surveillance parked up the street from where Corbett was shot. Authorities seized the van the same day they arrested Clemens on an outstanding warrant.

Clemens said he had not been truthful with authorities during his interview and agreed with Turner’s assertion that he “threw [Wells-Holmes] under the bus” after detectives told him Wells-Holmes had possibly implicated him as the shooter.

Clemens said he was told at some point in his interview with detectives that they had Wells-Holmes in custody. A Mercer County detective has testified Clemens had called Wells-Holmes while he was in police custody.

Clemens denied under oath ever placing a phone call to Wells-Holmes.

Clemens said detectives brought up his then-3-year-old son and told him that whether he saw him again depended on if he cooperated with their investigation. Clemens said the possibility of not seeing his son again made him “sad,” and he agreed with Turner’s assertion that he gave detectives information he believed they wanted so they could charge Wells-Holmes for the murder.

Clemens’ testimony followed hours of delays in testimony as court officials determined whether witnesses Isiah Greene and Marquise Risher would testify.

Greene and Risher’s DNA was found on cans found inside the gold van.

Greene, who faces unrelated murder and attempted murder charges, invoked his Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate himself. Risher testified in front of the jury but nothing substantial came from his testimony.

Turner has hinted that Greene was a more likely suspect in Corbett’s murder and has asked questions of witnesses that make it plausible she will formally accuse Greene of the murder as part of a third-party guilt defense. Turner, however, has declined to reveal her legal strategy. She would not say whether he client will testify.

Getting anyone to testify in this trial has proved a difficult task for prosecutors.

Acting Prosecutor Angelo Onofri had to meet with state Attorney General John Hoffman, who ultimately signed off on prosecutors’ request for immunity for Clemens. Immunity is rarely extended to witnesses, and Scott said he could not remember a time before Wednesday where he had been authorized to make such an offer.

TRENTON >> One of Paris France Way’s friends said his friend liked women, “probably to a fault.” Way’s way with women appears to have led to his death.

His girlfriend, Charlotte Carman, 38, of Trenton, apparently lashed out at him in the early-morning hours of May 31, stabbing him four times near the intersection of Sherman and St. Joes when she discovered he had been out with another woman, officials said.

She then slashed the tires of his Hyundai Sonata, returned to where he was laying in the street, stabbed him once more and spat on him, First Assistant Prosecutor Tom Meidt said. Prosecutors revealed at a bail hearing Friday this all happened as Way’s mistress watched in horror.

While the stabbing was not captured by a patchwork of surveillance from city businesses, Meidt said, footage shows Carman slashing Way’s tires, apparently with the same bloodied knife she had just used to stab Way.

Meidt said investigators encountered a blood trail that led from the victim to his car.

In addition to witnesses identifying Carman as the assailant, prosecutors said Carman confessed to stabbing Way to multiple people, including her pastor as well as police. She is charged with murder, felony murder, robbery, weapons offenses and criminal mischief.

Carman is accused of taking Way’s cellphone and $180 from his pocket, leading to the robbery and felony murder charges. She was charged with criminal mischief because she slashed his car tires, prosecutors said.

Superior Court Judge Darlene Pereksta maintained Carman’s bail at $770,000 after hearing from prosecutors, who labeled the woman a flight risk.

Following the murder, Carman was arrested by members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force in New Brunswick, where authorities say she had fled.

Carman’s attorney, Kathleen Redpath-Perez, disputed that accusation, saying her client has three daughters in New Brunswick and was there visiting them.

Redpath-Perez hinted she or whoever is assigned Carman’s case may put on a self-defense case and that her client was in the “fight for her life” after Way reportedly struck her with a grocery bag containing a 2-liter plastic soda bottle.

While Redpath-Perez did not say her client was a battered woman, she said she was involved in a “domestic violence relationship” with Way. She did not say what evidence she plans to put on to support her contention.

Carman has prior convictions for resisting arrest and a felony conviction for child abuse from 2004. She served 18 months in state prison on the resisting charge, which appeared to have been downgraded from an escape charge, prosecutors said.

Carman, who has six children – all who are being cared for by relatives –received a probationary sentence on the child abuse conviction.

Way left behind four sons of his own, his friend Johnathan Nealy, told The Trentonian.

“He liked women, probably to a fault, but he was a really good guy and would give you the shirt off of his back,” Nealy said. “He wasn’t perfect, and no one is, but he by no means deserved what happened to him. I’ve watched him mature into a grown man with responsibilities, and I always wanted the best for him. I knew that I could always depend on him if I needed something.”

TRENTON >> Two city men charged in the fatal shooting death of an off-duty Mercer County corrections officer are being tried in the fall, a judge said Friday.

Maurice Skillman

Maurice Skillman and Hykeem Tucker, both 28, are expected to be tried together starting Nov. 30, for the slaying of Carl Batie, a 27-year-old corrections officer who was gunned down Nov. 11, 2011 while he was attending a party celebrating the reelection of President Barack Obama at the Baldassari Regency banquet hall in Chambersburg.

Batie, who was not the intended target of the gang-related shooting, was struck in the head and killed instantly, prosecutors said.

Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier ruled Tucker will not be tried separately from his codefendant. Tucker’s attorney tried fruitlessly to have the men severed, arguing Skillman would exonerate his client if he were allowed to take the stand and testify in a separate trial.

Skillman is not allowed to take the stand as a witness in a joint trial because of evidence rules. However, Skillman’s twin brother, Marquis, who was one of three men charged in a separate murder, could be called to the witness stand.

Earlier this year, Marquis Skillman pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery to resolve murder charges in the June 2013 shooting death of Rayshawn Ransom. Prosecutors believe another man, Alton Jones, fired the fatal shot.

Jason Charles Matey, one of Maurice Skillman’s attorneys, told the court his client would not exculpate Tucker for his alleged role in Batie’s murder.

Skillman, in a teal prison jumpsuit with his hands shackled to his waist, told the court that he wanted to be tried alongside Tucker.

Tucker, who sat next to his attorney at a table behind Skillman, did not speak during the hearing.

The defendants have asked the judge to keep surveillance tapes taken from the banquet hall out of evidence. Billmeier said he would issue a written opinion on the request at a later date.

Prosecutors have said Skillman, who has been offered a 40-year sentence for murder, was the one who opened fire on the balcony of bystanders. Authorities collected 22 spent shell casings at the scene.

Assistant Prosecutor James Scott said surveillance footage, which captures the defendants at the banquet hall, also depicts a “flash of light” around the time gunshots rang out.

Tucker has been offered separate deals for his alleged role in the murder, including a deal that would reduce his prison sentence to 25-year prison term for aggravated manslaughter if he cooperated with prosecutors.

Under terms of a less favorable plea deal, Tucker would be required to serve 30 years for murder if he does not to cooperate.

The defendants have until Aug. 12 to decide whether to accept prosecutors’ offers.

After that, the judge said, they would have to plead to open counts of murder, increasing their exposure time to a maximum of 75 years.

Police guard this home in the first block of Cummings Avenue were a man was shot and killed. June 24, 2015 (Penny Ray - Trentonian)

It seems as if violence in the city never takes a vacation — not even during the summer months.

Two men were murdered in Trenton this week bringing this year’s homicide count to double digits.

“We can't continue to have vicious cycles,” City Council President Zachary Chester said. “We have to find solutions and make life better for everyone. We need everyone to come together to solve these problems.”

Tuesday night just before midnight, police were dispatched to the first block of Ellsworth Avenue where they found 22-year-old Edwin Saddler suffering from multiple stab wounds. Saddler died several hours later at Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

Then, around 12:11 a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to the first block of Cummings Avenue where they found 29-year-old Harvey Sharp suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Sharp, whose birthday was Wednesday, also died at the hospital.

On Wednesday morning, police prevented people from entering a home on Cummings Avenue where the shooting occurred. A woman who claimed to live in that home said she didn’t know whether the shooting happened inside the house, and she refused to say whether she was related to Sharp. Sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said the shooting occurred on the front porch of that home, and that it was the result of a “petty argument.” A woman who was in the area Wednesday morning said the first block of Cummings Avenue is normally a quiet neighborhood, and that people who live there usually keep to themselves. The woman said she was upstairs in her home when the shooting occurred, and that she heard at least two gunshots.

“There are other ways to deal with conflict,” Councilman Chester said. “We can't solve problems by taking someone's life; that should not be the solution.”

So far this year, 11 people have been killed in Trenton, which includes the arson death of Alberto Moya-Cuevas and the death of John Covington, who was fatally struck by a vehicle as he crossed the street pushing a shopping cart.

“Violence is the product of spiritual, social, economic and political contradictions,” Reverend Lukata Mjumbe said. “Those contradictions are not only destructive to the lives of those who were killed, but it's destructive to the perpetrator of the crime and to the community that is directly impacted by the violence.”

Mjumbe, Evangelist and Executive Director of Urban Mission Cabinet Inc., said he is convinced the solutions to preventing violence lie within each community. He and other faith-based leaders are committed to working with citizens to identify the root causes of violence in Trenton. Earlier this month, Mjumbe and about 25 other people spent three hours walking up and down St. Joes Avenue talking to residents about crime. Mjumbe said they intentionally walked the streets between midnight and 3 a.m. because two recent homicide victims were killed during that time span.

“We heard a lot of different things from citizens,” Mjumbe said. “There are some people who recognize that there's an economic dimension to violence based upon the perception, or reality, of lack of opportunities. Other people identified rivalries between different groups in the community as a source of the violence. And others acknowledge a deep sense of spiritual hopelessness within some residents in the city. There are people without hope who do not feel as if they have constructive and productive options. We're self-destructing and it's critical that all of us come together and start listening to people who are living in these communities that are being destroyed. That's where the answers and solutions are going to come from.”

Councilman Chester said he believes crime and violence in the capital city can be reduced by providing young people with more employment opportunities, which will keep them off of the streets at night and provide something positive to build upon. Chester said he and his fellow council members are working to obtain funding for job training so city residents will be qualified for jobs coming into Trenton through the mayor’s economic redevelopment plan. Chester also said city officials need to find a way to educate young residents on positive conflict resolution techniques.

“I charge organizations in the city that deal with conflict resolution to come to council and the administration and let's find a way to deal with violence,” Chester said. “Taking a life cannot be the solution.”

Anyone with information about the murder of Saddler or Sharp is asked to call (609) 989-6406. Or use the Trenton Police confidential tip line at (609) 989-3663. Individuals may also call the Trenton Crime Stoppers tip line at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip can send a message labeledTCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.

“Nothing is more unsettling to me than when our residents are murdered,” Mayor Eric Jackson said. “Make no mistake, the Trenton Police Department is working with the Mercer County Homicide Task Force and will apply every available resource to find those responsible and bring them to justice.”

By Trentonian reporters Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman and Penny Ray

The Serenity Garden at the corner of Prospect Street and Bellevue Avenue in Trenton stands in full vitality June 27, 2015, hours after a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed at that intersection. (Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman - Trentonian)

Serenity Garden at the corner of Prospect Street and Bellevue Avenue was recently established to represent a place of beauty, peace and healing.

But on Friday night, that blissful intersection became a crime scene as an armed perpetrator shot and killed a 16-year-old boy who was remembered on Saturday as “a good kid.”

Jah’Vae Miney of South Logan Avenue, Trenton, was shot in the chest about 11 p.m. and taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center by a citizen. The teenager was pronounced dead shortly thereafter, according to police, who have neither arrested a suspect nor announced a description of the shooter as of Saturday afternoon.

“It is a shame that youth is getting caught up in the midst of the madness,” said Jason Rogers of Fathers and Men United for a Better Trenton as he stood Saturday morning on the landscape of Serenity Garden.

For Jah’Vae to be gunned down in that area just a few hours earlier, “It had to be mistaken identity,” Rogers sad. “He was just on the bus stop.”

Jah’Vae’s death marks the third homicide this week in Trenton.

Earlier this week, 22-year-old Edwin Saddler and 29-year-old Harvey Sharp were murdered during separate incidents that occurred within minutes of each other. So far this year, 12 people have been killed in this 7.5-square-mile capital city.

Jah’Vae Miney was a member of a youth group at Shiloh Baptist Church and also liked to play basketball, according to people who knew him.

One of the people who played basketball with him was Gary Tarver, 26, who lived in the same neighborhood as the teenager.

A mourner hangs a makeshift memorial for Jah’Vae Miney who was shot and killed June 26, 2015. (Contributed photo - Rev. Lukata Mjumbe)

Reacting to the news of the homicide, “It’s crazy,” Tarver said Saturday afternoon on South Logan Avenue. “He was a good kid. All he did was play ball. He was probably at the wrong place at the wrong time. … He was only 16.”

Several dozen people embarked upon Serenity Garden on Saturday morning for a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony that was already planned well before Jah’Vae was gunned down in that area. The teenager’s death, however, nailed home the point for why Amini Sababu, 60, worked with Shiloh Community Development Corp. to establish that colorful, flower-filled garden in a city hard hit by violence.

“Serenity Garden is for people who lost loved ones to street violence,” Sababu said following the dedication ceremony that lasted about an hour. “We have people who come and sit at this garden and tell us they feel the peace; they feel the love.”

Jah’Vae Miney isn’t the first teenager to be slain in the streets of Trenton. For example, police still have not solved the May 2008 shooting death of 17-year-old city female Shanel Brady, who was gunned down on the 500 block of West State Street.

“I’m paranoid to be in West Trenton, because they still haven’t found who killed my daughter,” said Angel Quattlebaum, 44, the mother of slain Shanel Brady.

Quattlebaum was at Saturday’s ribbon-cutting event at Serenity Garden. Speaking about the annual gunplay here that has claimed the lives of men, women and children, “It’s senseless,” Quattlebaum said. “The generation doesn’t have respect for life. They don’t have respect for God, because if you respect God, you respect life,” she said. “If you feel someone disrespected you, you don’t lash out.”

Rogers and Sababu expressed an optimism that Trenton could become a safer and more prosperous city.

“We don’t get discouraged,” Rogers said. “We just continue to pray.”

Sababu gave a remark that sounded much like President Barack Obama circa 2008: “We have to believe that change is possible,” she said.

Anyone with information about the murders is asked to call the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at (609) 989-6406 or contact the Trenton Police confidential tip line at (609) 989-3663. Individuals may also call the Trenton Crime Stoppers tip line at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.

Keith Wells-Holmes

A man known on the streets as Blick was having “beef” with some people two days before Trenton graffiti artist Andre Corbett was murdered in January 2013.

Blick is actually Isiah Greene, according to testimony in the murder trial of Keith Wells-Holmes. Holmes is charged with gunning down Corbett in broad daylight outside an apartment complex on Hoffman Avenue and Oakland Street.

What does Blick’s beef and text messages referencing bullets have to do with the death of Corbett? Everything if you’re defense attorney Caroline Turner, whose theory is premised on a third-party guilt defense that raised the specter Greene killed Corbett.

For prosecutors, the stray pieces of evidence amounted to nothing more than “speculation,” Assistant Prosecutor James Scott said. He dismissively swept aside the fact Greene’s DNA was found on a cup inside a gold van linked with the slaying during his summation Tuesday.

The van belonged to the girlfriend of codefendant Zihqwan “Woodiey” Clemens. Clemens’ girlfriend testified earlier in the trial Greene was known on the streets as Blick; a detective testified he knew Greene by the moniker Blaze.

That was one of the many discrepancies that emerged at trial. Jurors were finally handed the case late Tuesday after a judge charged them on the law. They passed a note to the judge asking for playback of footage of the shooting and for enlarged photos of specific articles of clothing the shooter wore at the time Corbett was gunned down.

Prosecutors are firm any insinuation they have the wrong man and Greene, who was never charged for Corbett’s death but is jailed on unrelated murder and attempted murder charges, was the killer was unsupported by evidence, which points squarely at Wells-Holmes.

Scott also attempted to fill in what Wells-Holmes’ attorney has called glaring holes in the case against her client, suggesting for the first time Wells-Holmes had a reason to kill Corbett.

Scott said the motive came from the defendant’s mouth in an interview with police. Wells-Holmes had told detectives he knew Corbett as someone who cracked jokes and would “talk s---.”

“A lot of people take that stuff seriously,” Wells-Holmes told detectives in a taped interview that was shown to jurors.

Scott said one is left with the impression after viewing silent surveillance footage of the shooting that Wells-Holmes pumped multiple rounds into Corbett at close range after the two allegedly exchange words.

“He decided at that minute he was going to kill Andre Corbett,” Scott said.

Wells-Holmes’ attorney is insistent her client is innocent and has built her defense on the idea that prosecutors got the wrong man. It’s a phrase she invoked once again in her closing argument while pointing to facts she alluded to at the outset of the trial.

She said her left-handed client wore different clothing than the right-handed shooter, was several inches shorter than Greene and had no reason to kill Corbett.

Turner also attacked the credibility of the witnesses who testified against her client.

“Pictures don’t lie,” she said. “People do.”

Turner urged jurors to completely discount the story Clemens gave detectives implicating Wells-Holmes as the shooter. Turner did not even seize on Clemens’ testimony under oath exonerating her client of the murder because she said doing so would be disingenuous.

“I would like to cherry pick a couple of the things he said and call them reliable but that would be dishonest of me,” she said. “False in one, false in all. He lied about everything.”

Turner then turned her sights on Michael Barnes, known as “Murder Mike.”

The convicted felon and admitted drug dealer told jurors he saw Corbett’s killer and was “100 percent” it was a man he recognized as “Zeek’s cousin.” Wells-Holmes had a family member named Zeek who lived on Oakland Street. Barnes said Well-Holmes frequently visited.

Barnes stepped forward with information about the alleged shooter a year after the murder. He cut a deal with prosecutors to resolve charges of aggravated assault, weapons offenses and resisting for probation and truthful testimony.

Turner suggested Barnes was anything but truthful. She said his vantage point was obscured and he would have had a hard time identifying the shooter out of a small glass slit in the window, especially while he was preoccupied looking out for police because he was dealing crack cocaine.

“Are we really going to believe the word of a jailhouse snitch?” she said. “You can’t believe a word that Murder Mike says. The state is actually pretty desperate to get this conviction if it’s using Murder Mike as its star witness.”

Keith Wells-Holmes embraced his attorney, thanked her for saving his life and promised to attend college moments after a jury acquitted him of gunning down a Trenton man in 2013 in a brazen broad daylight shooting captured by city surveillance cameras outside the apartment complex.

Keith Wells Holmes

A jury deliberated for about six hours over two days before returning the not guilty verdict Wednesday in Mercer County Superior Court to counts of murder and weapons offenses.

Before arriving at their decision, they reviewed footage of Wells-Holmes’ Jan. 21, 2013 visits to a relative’s Oakland Street apartment as well as footage of the shooter unloading multiple rounds on Andre Corbett at point-blank range. Jurors watched several camera angles and asked prosecutors to zoom in on Wells-Holmes and the gunman, looking for discernible differences in their appearance.

After the jury forewoman read the not guilty verdict aloud in court, Wells-Holmes’ attorney, Caroline Turner, asked the court to order her client released immediately.

“I always knew he was innocent,” Turner said following the verdict. “Everything I checked out [about his story] came back exactly like he said.”

As part of a third-party guilt defense, Turner contended Isiah Greene, who was never charged in Corbett’s slaying but faces murder and attempted murder charges in separate unrelated cases, was the real killer.

Greene’s DNA was found on a cup discovered inside a gold van linked with the murder.

Turner pointed to differences in appearance between her client and the shooter. The state relied on a patchwork of surveillance footage and crucial testimony from a Mercer County detective and convicted felon and admitted drug dealer Michael “Murder Mike” Barnes.

Turner attacked Barnes’ credibility, referring to him as a jailhouse snitch and said he could not be trusted after he came forward with information about Corbett’s killer a year later, when he found himself jailed on a litany of charges.

Turner was convinced the case boiled down to the jury’s attentiveness to essential details, such as clothing and the suspect’s dominant hand. Wells-Holmes is left-handed whereas the suspect shot with his right hand.

Jurors did not hear from Wells-Holmes directly as he chose not to testify in his own defense. But they listened to Wells-Holmes’ taped police interview a second time Wednesday. Wells-Holmes denied any involvement in Corbett’s murder but appeared to trip over himself when detectives pressed him about his whereabouts the day of the murder, when he said he had not visited family on Oakland Street for several days.

Wells-Holmes stammered when detectives told him surveillance captured him on Oakland Street the day of the murder. Turner insisted her client was truthful with authorities and simply mixed up his days.

His codefendant, Zihqwan “Woodiey” Clemens, was granted immunity to testify in this murder trial and got on the stand and exonerated Wells-Holmes saying neither was around when Corbett was shot.

It’s unclear how much weight jurors gave to Clemens’ testimony. Most jurors left immediately after the verdict was read and a female juror who was still sitting outside the courthouse steps declined to comment on the verdict.

While the jury ultimately agreed with Turner’s assertion that prosecutors had the wrong man, Assistant Prosecutor James Scott said the evidence pointed at Wells-Holmes.

“I do think we had the right person,” he said. “We have to respect the jury’s verdict.”

Scott said the acquittal would not affect prosecutors’ case against Clemens, who is being tried separately. A trial date has not been set for Clemens, who has been offered a 30-year sentence for allegedly driving the getaway car.

The murder case against a Trenton man accused of fatally

Prosecutors say this surveillance photo shows Shaheed Brown (left) and Enrico Smalley Jr. minutes before Smalley was gunned down outside of La Guira Bar on July 12, 2014.

shooting Enrico Smalley Jr. outside a violence-riddled city bar last year is headed for trial.

Shaheed Brown, 30, who is accused of gunning down Smalley outside of La Guira Bar in July 2014, said he was “absolutely” rejecting prosecutors’ final plea offer of 45 years for murder.

A repeat offender with convictions for aggravated assault and aggravated arson, Brown was advised by Judge Robert Billmeier that he could be sentenced to up to 75 years in prison if he is found guilty by a jury at trial. He responded firmly that he understood.

The judge did not set a date for trial, which is expected to last up to four weeks. Billmeier said he would have to find a lull in his schedule, which is jam-packed with murder trials.

Billmeier recently presided over the murder trial of Keith Wells-Holmes, who was acquitted earlier this week of murder.

The idea was floated that retired Superior Court Judge Andrew Smithson, who is still on recall, could take over Brown’s case to ease Billmeier’s load. A voir dire conference is set for July 30.

Brown’s attorney, Edward Heyburn, had previously asked the court to fast-track his client’s case for trial and asked the court Friday if it would schedule a conference between himself, Smithson and Assistant Prosecutor Brian McCauley.

Heyburn hopes the court could accommodate a trial date in August. Brown has been incarcerated on $1 million bail on numerous charges since he was arrested for Smalley’s murder in Newark in August 2014.

Brown also faces gun and drug-related charges, but prosecutors expect to drop those charges in July when a codefendant is sentenced.

A judge ordered evidence of the gun suppressed, leaving only drug charges remaining for Brown. His codefendant pleaded guilty in the drug case, admitting drugs belonged to him and exonerating Brown.

Brown’s attorney has also maintained his client’s innocence in the murder case, claiming someone other than Brown killed Smalley.

The attorney released a video to The Trentonian he claimed showed the identity of the gunman, a man known only as “King,” who appears to reach for something tucked into the left side of his waistband moments before Smalley was shot.

Heyburn said police did not attempt to interview the man in order to rule him out as a suspect.

The clip generated much public interest in the case, and a judge issued a gag order on the attorneys and sealed the court file. McCauley said release of the video discouraged a potential witness from cooperating with prosecutors.

Since then, prosecutors have said the murder weapon used to kill Smalley was linked with a separate homicide in Essex County and two shootings in Trenton.

The weapon has not been recovered, but prosecutors said shell casings at those scenes ballistically matched ones recovered from La Guira Bar, which was the scene of a second fatal shooting in December.

Authorities said Patrick Walker was gunned down outside the bar, leading officials from the Alcoholic Beverage Control to inquire about the establishment’s practices.

A 33-year-old city man was stabbed to death in the area of St. Joe's and Sherman Avenues early Sunday morning.

According to Casey DeBlasio, a spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, Paris France Way was found suffering from stab wounds after police received a call about the stabbing in the area around 1:57 a.m.

Way was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he succumbed to his wounds a short time later, DeBlasio said.

No information regarding a motive or a suspect was available on Sunday afternoon.

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force is investigating. Anyone with information about the killing is asked to call (609) 989-6406. Or use the Trenton police confidential tip line at (609) 989-3663. Tipsters may also call the Trenton Crime Stoppers tipline at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.

The best man convicted of killing his close friend, a Trenton drug dealer, in a botched home invasion in 2008 maintained his innocence before he was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the slaying, his attorney confirmed.

Nigel Dawson and William Brown were convicted of the 2008 murder of Tracy Crews. (Submitted photos)

William “Paperboy” Brown, 30, and Nigel Joseph Dawson, 31, were each convicted in February of first-degree murder, felony murder, robbery and weapons offenses following a six-week trial before Superior Court Judge Andrew Smithson.

The duo faced a life sentence for the murder of Tracy Crews, a convicted drug dealer and Bloods gang member who was shot in the neck inside his Whittaker Avenue residence Sept 12, 2008 so the defendants could make off with $40,000 in drug proceeds. The judge handed down a 50-year sentence instead.

Brown’s attorney, Steven Lember, confirmed each of the defendants’ 50-year prison terms are subject to the No Early Release Act, which means they’ll have to serve 85 percent of their sentences, or more than 42 years, before they’re eligible for parole.

That would put Brown and Dawson in their early 70s before they could be released from state prison. Lember had filed a motion for new trial that was denied Thursday and has vowed to appeal the conviction.

He had expressed confidence his client would be vindicated on appeal based off Smithson’s decision at trial to allow prosecutors to present evidence of a dying declaration from Crews.

The evidence had been excluded by another judge who ruled it was unreliable. But Smithson reversed the ruling because he believed the dying declaration couched some of Crews’ wife’s lies.

Sheena Robinson-Crews, the victim’s widow, had admitted initially lying to police when she said her husband implicated both defendants while he lay dying outside a nearby liquor store. She later said her husband only mentioned Brown.

That was just one twist in a trial that was full of them. The biggest came when the defendants accused Robinson-Crews of conspiring with two other men in his murder as part of a third-party guilt defense.

The defense’s theory was based on comments Robinson-Crews’ made during a phone conversation hours after her husband was shot and testimony from a jailhouse informant who was locked up with Robinson-Crews in Pennsylvania.

Police overheard Robinson-Crews telling someone authorities believed was the killer, “You didn’t have to shoot him,” referring to Crews. Crews’ mother, Barbara Portis, said at trial she had believed her son’s wife was involved in his murder.

But defense attorneys were dealt a critical blow when Smithson ruled Trenton Police Officer Nathan Bolognini was not allowed to testify before the jury because he did not recall reporting to superiors overhearing Crews’ wife phone conversation, even though it appeared in a search warrant.

Both defense attorneys and the judge were incredulous Bolognini could not recall such a specific detail.

A status hearing Monday for one of two men accused in the brutal beating death of a Guatemalan immigrant took an unexpected turn when the judge stepped off the bench and summoned one of his sheriff’s officers to a sidebar.

Michael Holman

When Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier returned to the bench, he said he was concerned about the security of his court room being “compromised,” an apparent reference to a man who had entered, left and re-entered the courtroom during a court appearance for 19-year-old Michael Holman.

The man’s relation to Holman was unclear, but Holman waived to him as he was being led away following the hearing.

The man appeared confused by the judge’s remarks as he had already been wanded down before entering the courtroom, a member of the judge’s security team said.

Holman is charged along with Dante Martin, also 19, for the Feb. 14, 2014 beating death of Julio Cesar Cruz, which caused uproar in the city’s Latino community.

Holman was offered a plea deal that requires him to serve 31 years if he pleads guilty to aggravated manslaughter and aggravated assault.

Assistant Prosecutor James Scott was asked by the judge whether Holman made any incriminating statements to authorities and responded “very much so.”

Holman’s attorney, Jason Charles Matey, expressed frustration that he has not been able to watch voluminous surveillance footage related to the case with his client because of security policies in place at the Mercer County jail where Holman is being held.

Julio Cesar-Cruz

The unexpected hitch has prevented Matey from inching the case toward a resolution since he doesn’t anticipate filing many motions on behalf of his client.

Billmeier said he planned to intervene in the matter.

Matey must review hundreds of hours of footage with his client before Holman can decide whether he wants to take his case to trial. Holman’s next court appearance is scheduled for September.

Donte Jones

A city man accused in connection with a Halloween homicide has been indicted by a grand jury.

Donte Jones, 24, is charged with first-degree murder and related weapons offenses in connection with the shooting death of 36-year-old Levonza Thompson.

Around 11 p.m. on October 31, 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.

Witnesses reportedly told police that Thompson was involved in a struggle in the Oakland Park Apartments courtyard area when Jones allegedly pulled a handgun and fired multiple shots. Jones was arrested about a week after the murder and charged in connection with Thompson’s death. Prosecutors say police found Jones hiding under a pile of clothes in the third-floor attic of a home located in the first block of Laurel Place. Jones was out on bail on weapons charges at the time of the shooting, according to prosecutors in the case.

Naquan Ellis (left) and Levonza Thompson. (Facebook photo)

Jones remains in the Mercer County Correction Center on $1 million bail.

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.

Police are investigating a murder that occurred inside a Donnelly Homes apartment on Beakes Street. July 1, 2015 (Penny Ray - Trentonian)

The capital city has now experienced six homicides in five weeks.

Edward Kevin Nock, 43, was stabbed in the abdomen around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, and police found him lying on the floor of his Donnelly Homes apartment after receiving an emergency 911 call reporting the incident. Nock underwent emergency surgery, but he died as a result of his injuries a couple of hours after the stabbing.

One of Nock’s cousins, who asked to remain anonymous, said Nock was helping a man get on his feet by allowing him to live in his apartment. That man, the cousin said, is the person rumored to have stabbed Nock. The cousin said Nock and the man had an argument, which resulted in the stabbing. The suspect is now on the run, according to Nock’s cousin. Police, meanwhile, have not released the suspect’s name or description.

“He was a very caring person and never did anything to hurt anyone,” the cousin said about Nock. “He was helping out by letting the guy stay with him.”

Edward Kevin Nock (contributed photo)

His cousin said Nock has also been taking care of his mother, who just had part of her leg amputated. Nock was married, his cousin said, but does not have children. The Trentonian was not able to reach Nock’s additional family members.

So far this year, four homicides have occurred in the North Ward, which is where Nock was killed. As a comparison, five homicides have occurred in the West Ward, three happened in the East Ward, and one killing occurred in the South Ward.

Additional analysis shows that eight people have been shot to death this year, three have been fatally stabbed, one died by arson and another was fatally struck by a vehicle while crossing the street.

“We have tried to give the police department every tool possible to prevent deaths, such as ShotSpotter which helps police reach the victims in a timely manner, but you don't know when there's a stabbing taking place,” North Ward Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson said. “This really concerns me because now the crimes are starting to escalate again, and of course summer is always the worse time of year.”

The councilwoman said she’s “baffled” by the violence taking place not only in the capital city, but across the nation. She said it’s reached a point where citizens are hesitant to trust strangers, which makes it difficult for those who are seeking help to overcome a bad situation in their life.

“There's no easy solution to the violence that's going on in cities right now,” Caldwell-Wilson said. “Violence results from a combination of things.”

City activist Darren “Freedom” Green said people often point fingers at police and government officials when talking about violence in urban cities. But crime and violence is an extension of poverty and a failing education system, Green said.

“We're reproducing a population of children who are growing into adults but can't even function on a basic level,” Green said. “We have to deal with the reality of people being unemployed and underemployed, and we also have to deal with the failing educational system.”

Green also said parents need to take more responsibility in how their children are raised and teach them to be responsible, respectful adults.

“We have to incorporate civics into everything we do so that responsible behavior becomes the norm, and that's something everyone can do regardless of their economic bracket,” Green said. “The home is the first institution of learning. Children need to learn to respect themselves, authority figures and the lives of others. We're burying children. I'm sick and tired of driving late at night and seeing teenagers out in the streets. There's no excuse for that.”

City Council President Zachary Chester previously told The Trentonian that city officials are working to increase employment opportunities for young people living in the city in order to keep them off of the streets at night and provide them with a sense of self-worth. Councilwoman Caldwell-Wilson echoed those sentiments Wednesday afternoon and said that was one of the reasons why council refused to approve a landscaping contract to a firm outside of the capital city.

“We want to hire from within the city of Trenton because when you empower people, it takes them away from the criminal activity and gives them a sense of self-worth,” the councilwoman said.

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force is investigating Nock’s death. Anyone with information about the killing is asked to call (609) 989-6406. Or use the Trenton police confidential tip line at (609) 989-3663. Tipsters may also call the Trenton Crime Stoppers tipline at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.

“My heart goes out to his family and friends,” Caldwell-Wilson said about Nock’s death. “Every time I get a text about a crime, it takes my breath away. Murder doesn't just affect the person who committed the crime and the person who was hurt, it affects family members, parents and friends. They all suffer from the fact that someone has been killed.”