Authorities say they took a 41-year-old man into custody on Feb. 27 for his alleged involvement in a murder that took place in 2002. He was taken into custody around 9:30 a.m. by the U.S. Marshals Service Regional Task Force. The man allegedly shot and killed a 23-year-old man at the Chateau Bar & Packaged Goods in Camden.
Authorities arrived at the scene around 10:15 p.m. on the night of the shooting in August 2002. After arriving at the scene, they found a man lying on the floor, and he was transported to Cooper University Hospital. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 11:16 p.m. that same night. It is believed that the shooting occurred after a fight that had to be broken up by bouncers at the bar.
The man was charged with first-degree homicide and was being held at Camden County Jail at the time of the report. His brother was also taken into custody and charged with tampering with a witness. Police say he threatened a witness by phone on Feb. 20. He was also being held at Camden County Jail on $250,000 bail.
Those who are charged with assault and battery, murder or other felonies may wish to consult a criminal defense attorney. An attorney might be able to create a defense that will cast doubt on the charge a defendant may be facing. It might be possible to argue that a murder occurred during an act of self-defense. It may also be possible to argue that the defendant never meant to hurt or intentionally kill the victim. This could increase the odds of a plea bargain or an acquittal in the case.
Source: NJ.com, "Westville man arrested in 2002 fatal bar shooting in Camden," Mark Daniels, Feb. 27, 2015