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Gabriel Braithwaite, 19, of Keansburg and Jerod Dearin, 22, of the Cliffwood Beach section of Aberdeen were both charged with two counts of first-degree murder and single counts of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, two related second-degree weapons offenses, and third-degree hindering apprehension, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.
The Friday, Feb. 4 arrests are in connection with last month's Neptune Township shooting deaths of 18-year-old Samore Edwards of Plainfield, Union County, and 19-year-old Isaiah Williams of New Brunswick, Middlesex County, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey said.
Shortly before 8:15 p.m. on Jan. 19, Neptune Township police responded to the 1300 block of Washington Avenue on a report of a shooting, according to the preliminary investigation. Police found the two victims in a parked vehicle, Linskey said.
Edwards was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene, while Williams was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, the prosecutor said.
An intensive investigation involving members of the Prosecutor’s Office, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, the Neptune Township Police Department, and the Keansburg Police Department resulted in Braithwaite and Dearin being identified as suspects in the case, and they were taken into custody without incident on Friday, the prosecutor said..
“This was a brazen and brutal crime, and the swiftness with which it was investigated and these defendants apprehended is a testament to the quality of no small amount of stellar collaborative work,” Linskey said.
Convictions on criminal charges of this nature are commonly punishable by terms of up to life in state prison, the prosecutor said.
Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Matthew Bogner and Stephanie Dugan are handling the case.
Anyone with any information about this matter is still being urged to contact Prosecutor’s Office Detective Christopher Guy toll-free at 1-800-533-7443 or Neptune Township Police Department Detective Darell Harris at 732-988-8000 Ext. 408.
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