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The prosecutor’s office announced the arrests of the victim’s ex-boyfriend, William J. DiBernardino Jr., 49, of Boynton Beach, Florida, and the pair who allegedly carried out the attack — Betty Jo Lane, 38, and Jmarr J. McNeil, 39, both of Jacksonville, Florida.
DiBernardino hired Lane to travel to New Jersey to murder the victim, then ordered the sulfuric acid and delivered it to Lane, according to the affidavit for probable cause. He directed her to a spy shop to buy a GPS tracking device that was allegedly attached to the victim’s vehicle, police paperwork shows.
DiBernardino sent McNeil money to pay for the rental car the pair used to drive up from Florida, police papers say.
Prosecutors allege that McNeil and Lane conducted surveillance and stalked the victim from July 14 until July 26. After the acid attack, Lane and McNeil drove back to Florida and collected their payment, prosecutors said.
DiBernardino allegedly agreed to pay Lane, writing, “You just agreed to 20 and covering the truck for this job and 10 deposit for the new job.”
They didn't specify what the "new job" might be.
Lane responded, “Ye so gave 18 so now 2 more and the 8500 for the truck on my CC.”
The 42-year-old victim was returning from work to the Forrest Hills housing development, when Lane threw a cup of sulfuric acid on her, leaving her with burns across 35% of her body, according to police and police paperwork.
A strand of red hair was found on the cup used in the acid attack, police paperwork says. Lane has red hair, according to a photo of her outside a Philadelphia hotel mentioned in the police report.
All three suspects were jailed in New Jersey and are awaiting court appearances this week on first-degree charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, as well as aggravated assault, stalking and weapons charges.
"What was done to her was just atrocious," said Chief Tom Gilbert of the prosecutor's office, praising his team of investigators.
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