Four men face life for 2009 killing of RB teacher
A Keansburg and 3 Asbury men named in 9-count indictment
Three Asbury Park men and a Keansburg resident face life imprisonment for the 2009 killing of a Red Bank Middle School teacher, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced Monday afternoon.
A Monmouth County grand jury returned a nine-count indictment against each of the men charged in connection with the Sept. 14, 2009 death of 33-year-old Jonelle Melton.
Asbury Park residents James M. Fair, 28, Ebenezer Byrd, 36, and Gregory A. Jean-Baptiste, 27, are charged along with Jerry J. Spraulding, 38, of Keansburg. All four men were found to be certain persons not to possess weapons, according to a news release.
Each of the men are charged with first degree felony murder, second degree conspiracy, second degree burglary, first degree robbery, second degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and second degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
Byrd and Jean-Baptiste are charged additionally with first degree tampering with a witness, and Byrd and Spraulding face additional second degree weapon possession charges.
From the news release:
Jonelle Melton was a veteran school teacher at Red Bank Middle School when she was brutally killed inside her Neptune City apartment. She was an active member of the school community, serving as a member of the School Improvement Team, the Leadership Program at Red Bank Regional High School, and selected to serve as a Student Council Advisor.
Melton was also an active member of the Christian Woman’s Encouragement Group, and was scheduled to officially become a member of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Lake Como during its annual Woman’s Day celebration.
The Neptune City Police Department received a 911 call around 9:07 a.m. on Sept. 14, 2009, reporting the discovery of unresponsive woman in an apartment in the Brighton Arms complex, 311 West Sylvania Ave. in the borough. Officers arrived on scene and found the victim, 33-year old Jonelle Melton, inside of the apartment. Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and pronounced Ms. Melton deceased.
A joint investigation was immediately launched by the Neptune City Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation continued over the course of more than six years, and was one of the first cases to utilize the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line and reward program.
As a result of that investigation, detectives learned that Fair, Byrd, Jean-Baptiste and Spraulding planned to burglarize a specific apartment in the Brighton Arms complex. However, the men broke into the wrong apartment and encountered the victim. At some point after realizing they were in the wrong apartment, the men brutally murdered Ms. Melton.
Each of the defendants are being held on $1.5 million cash only bail, with a bail source hearing required before they can be released, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley.
If convicted of the felony murder charge, each of the accused face 30 years to life imprisonment, with no early release [NERA] prior to serving 85 percent of their sentence.
If convicted of first degree robbery, each man faces a maximum of 20 years, subject to NERA. The second degree conspiracy and second degree burglary charges come with a maximum 10 year sentence, also subject to NERA.
The possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose and the unlawful possession of a firearm charges each come with a maximum 10 year sentence, subject to a mandatory period of parole ineligibility of the greater of either half of the sentence imposed or 42 months.
Byrd and Jean-Baptiste face up to 20 years for the first degree tampering with a witness charge.
Byrd and Spraulding face up to 10 years in state prison with a mandatory five-year period of parole ineligibility, for the second degree certain person weapon possession charge.
The case is being prosecuted by Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Marc C. LeMieux and Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Bogner.
Byrd is represented by Paul Zager of Red Bank; Jean-Baptiste is represented by Robert Konzelmann of Howell; Spraulding is represented by Carlos Diaz-Cobo of New Brunswick; and Fair is represented by James Leonard of Atlantic City.
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