A third teenager charged in the murder of a 15-year-old six months ago in the city’s West Ward was arrested for allegedly dealing drugs the week of the killing.
(left to right) Wilson George, Jayshawn Smith and Juprie Wadley
Wilson George, 19, has also been indicted on drug-distribution offenses for allegedly dealing dope in October 2015, according to court records. He faces a number of un-indicted drug charges filed the same week he and two other teens are accused of gunning down Maurice Wimbush-Jalaah, 15, on June 11 in Prospect Village, a Trenton housing complex.
George made his first appearance in court for a bail hearing Monday.
His associates, Jashawn Smith and Juprie Wadley -- also charged with murder, conspiracy and weapons offenses -- had bail hearings last week. They are each being held on $1 million.
George’s bail was reduced to $500,000 after prosecutors laid out the case against him.
The case against the three teens is built on ballistics from three recovered handguns -- a .32-caliber, 9 mm and .22-caliber revolver -- as well as bullets and shell casings balistically tied to the murder, prosecutors said.
The .22 was found after police patted down Wadley, minutes after they encountered the teens running down Louise Lane. They ordered them to stop at gunpoint.
Maurice Wimbush-Jalaah (submitted photo)
Wadley and George got down but Smith bolted and was apprehended after a foot chase.
Assistant Prosecutor William Fisher said Smith tossed a 9 mm handgun.
George had been allowed to walk when police didn’t find a gun on him. But he was later charged with tossing the .32-caliber handgun, which was discovered next to a sweatshirt behind a silver Lexus.
Prosecutors said George dropped the sweatshirt and the gun. There was a gap between when George, who had denied the allegations, was charged with murder and conspiracy.
The suspect’s attorney, Kathleen Redpath-Perez, pointed to the delay in saying police’s case against George has “problems” and isn’t as strong as prosecutors let on.
“He should have been charged the same day if that was the observation made [about the gun],” she said.
While his associates spoke to police and gave different accounts of what allegedly happened, it’s unclear if George spoke to detectives.
Fisher declined to say whether the teen spoke detectives when they tried to interrogate him.