MAYS LANDING – A Pleasantville man pled guilty today to aggravated manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of a Pleasantville man in 2010, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.
On Tuesday, Sept. 9, Jerome A. Byrd, 30, of East Merion Avenue, Pleasantville, NJ, entered a guilty plea to the charge of aggravated manslaughter for the killing of Scott Godfrey, 21, of Pleasantville.
On May 10, 2010 at 9:18 p.m., Pleasantville police responded to 29 West Park Avenue for a report of a man shot outside a convenience store. Upon arrival, Godfrey was found dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Godfrey was pronounced dead at 9:35 p.m. via telemetry by Dr. Eric Wolk, of the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.
An autopsy performed the following day determined that the victim died of gunshot wounds to the chest, back, and leg.
A three-year investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Pleasantville Police Department led to the arrest of Byrd at his residence at the time on the 6000 block of the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township. Egg Harbor Township Police assisted with the arrest.
At the time of his arrest, Byrd was lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility in lieu of $1 million cash bail, where he has remained.
An Atlantic County Grand Jury indicted Jerome Byrd for murder on October 16, 2013.
Today, in accordance with a plea agreement, Byrd pled guilty before Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Kyran Connor to Aggravated Manslaughter, a 1st degree crime.
According to the terms of the plea agreement, Byrd will serve a 20-year sentence of incarceration in New Jersey State Prison.
Pursuant to the No Early Release Act (NERA), Byrd must serve 85% of the sentence— 17 years in prison—before becoming eligible for parole.
Byrd is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Connor on Nov. 14, 2014. Chief Assistant Prosecutor John Maher represented the State in the case.
Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page. People can also call Crime Stoppers at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.
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