A Newark New Jersey man recently pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter for the strangling death of a woman.
According to prosecutors, the 46-year-old suspect killed a 58-year-old woman in 2012.
At the time of the strangling death, both the suspect and the victim were homeless and living on the streets. Authorities said that the two knew each other.
The victim’s body was later discovered by Newark NJ police in the Passaic River, near the 900 block of Route 21. The site is believed to be near the area where the suspect and the victim had been living prior to the killing.
An autopsy indicated that the main cause of the victim’s death was strangulation. However, medical examiners also said that the victim suffered stab wounds and blunt force trauma to the head.
The suspect was arrested a short time after police found the victim’s body.
It was possible that the suspect would have faced murder charges for the killing. Now the suspect has pleaded guilty to an aggravated manslaughter charge in the case.
The terms of the plea agreement call for prosecutors to recommend that the suspect serve a sentence of 25 years in New Jersey State Prison. Additionally, the suspect would have to serve a minimum of 21 years in prison before becoming eligible for release on parole.
The suspect will be required to appear in Essex County Superior Court for a sentencing hearing in August. Although the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office will recommend a 25-year sentence, the superior court judge has some discretion to impose a different sentence.
For more information about this case, go to NJ.com article entitled “N.J. Man Pleads Guilty in Killing of Woman Found in Passaic River.”