AC Man Charged with Murdering his Mother; Just Released from Prison After 30-Year Sentence in Previous Murder

ATLANTIC CITY – An Atlantic City man was arrested today for killing his mother early this morning, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.

A 9-1-1 call received at 6:29 a.m. today prompted the response of Atlantic City Police and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit to 1812 McKinley Avenue, Atlantic City.

Upon arrival, police found the resident, Gwendolyn Pratt, 64, dead of apparent head injuries. The victim’s son, Steven Pratt, 46, of the same address, was found at the scene and detained by police.

Personnel of the State Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene. An autopsy conducted later in the morning determined the manner of death to be homicide, the cause of death: massive blunt head injuries.

County Prosecutor Jim McClain authorized the charge of murder against Steven Pratt. Pratt was lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility in lieu of $1 million cash bail, set by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Noah Bronkesh.

Steven Pratt had been released from New Jersey State Prison on Friday, Oct. 10, after completing a 30-year prison sentence for a 1984 murder.

This charge is merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, a charged defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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.