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Stephon Keys, 31, of Neptune Township, was already in state prison in a separate case when he was served his charges, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced on Friday, Jan. 12.
Quashon McDuffie, 30, of Long Branch, and Knaliek Joshua, 31, of Asbury Park, were charged in the killing on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023.
Neptune Township police responded to a shooting on Seventh Avenue on Monday, Feb. 8, 2016, just before 8:30 p.m. Officers found 20-year-old Andre Thorne with a gunshot wound to his chest in the driver's seat of a car.
Thorne was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. Investigators later discovered Thorne was sitting in the car with two other people during the shooting.
About 40 minutes after the first shooting report, a second shooting happened about a mile away on Monroe Avenue. No one was injured in that incident, but officers found a car was shot twice near the intersection with Myrtle Avenue.
Keys was charged with first-degree felony murder, first-degree armed robbery, first-degree attempted murder, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, two counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, two counts of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and two counts of second-degree certain person not to possess a weapon.
McDuffie was charged with first-degree felony murder, first-degree armed robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Joshua was charged with first-degree felony murder, first-degree armed robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and second-degree certain persons not to possess a weapon.
Before the three men were arrested, police had asked as recently as October 2023 for tips about Thorne's killing. Santiago said the investigation is still ongoing.
Anyone with information about Thorne's killing can submit an anonymous tip to the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-671-4400, using the free P3 Tips mobile app, or by going to the group's website.
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