Alton Jones, the half-brother of the notorious Skillman twins, admitted fatally shooting two teenagers three days apart in accepting a plea that calls for him to spend 38 years in prison, prosecutors said.
Jones must serve 19 years each for the deaths of Rayshawn Ransom and Tierra Green, for a total of 38 years, Assistant Prosecutor Stephanie Katz said.
Ransom was gunned down during a deadly, gang-related shootout that led to convictions of two other Trenton men. Green was shot and killed June 15.
Alton Jones
In pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated manslaughter, Jones had a stunning change of heart after he had rejected a previous offer of 40 years.
Andrew Duclair, Jones’ attorney, did not return a phone call Monday afternoon requesting comment about the deal.
Jones appeared intent to take the murder cases to trial, and a judge earlier this year ruled that prosecutors could try him together for both slayings.
The trial was set to start in September.
Jones' guilty plea comes about a month after his half-brother, Maurice Skillman, and a second man, Hykeem Tucker, were convicted at a second trial of killing Mercer County corrections officer Carl Batie.
Jones was initially charged along with half-brother Marquis Skillman, and Dyquise Leonard, following Ransom's death.
The other two men pleaded guilty for their roles.
Jones and Leonard were reportedly involved in an ongoing feud with a group of people who hailed from Passaic Street.
The two groups met as part of an expected truce when Jones, Leonard and Skillman reportedly opened fire on three men, including Ransom, as he was seated in the car.
Ransom, 19, was struck and killed while his friends were wounded in the shootout.
Investigators said the fatal shot came from Jones’ automatic handgun, which witnesses said was tossed out of a getaway car that sped away from the scene.
Jones fled to New Haven, Conn., where he was arrested following a police standoff.
Leonard pleaded guilty to attempted murder in Ransom’s death as part of a 12-year sentence.
Marquis Skillman was expected to receive 11 years for robbery and was awaiting sentencing when he was arrested again this year, possibly jeopardizing his plea agreement.