Newark NJ police are looking into a homicide that occurred at a local apartment complex on Christmas Eve.

The murder happened around 9:30 p.m. The Newark Police Department got a 911 call about a stabbing at a residential building on the 200 block of South Street in Newark, New Jersey.

When police officers showed up at the apartment building, they quickly went to an apartment on the third floor and found the victim. The victim had sustained a serious stab wound and was unresponsive when police discovered his body. Less than one hour after police officers arrived at the scene, the victim was pronounced dead.

According to Essex County prosecutors, the New Jersey Regional Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy on the victim and attempt to figure out the exact cause of death.

Newark police are currently investigating the homicide. Investigators have not yet identified a suspect or a motive for the killing.

If police are eventually able to identify and capture a suspect in the case, it is likely that the culprit would face serious criminal charges for murder. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3, murder is the most serious crime in the New Jersey Criminal Code. A conviction for first degree murder could lead to a sentence of life imprisonment in NJ State Prison.

The recent killing is the 102nd homicide to occur Newark NJ this year. Last year, there were a total of just 93 homicides in Newark.

For additional information about this case, access the NJ.com article entitled “Christmas Eve Stabbing Leaves One Man Dead in Newark.”