MAYS LANDING — Two Atlantic City men were charged today with murder in connection with the shooting death of a 52-year-old man found dead outside a Northfield home in January 2015, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Diane Ruberton announced.
On Jan. 9, 2015, at approximately 11:00 a.m., the Northfield Police Department and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit responded to Virginia Avenue, Northfield, where a man had been discovered dead on the front lawn of a residence, with a head wound.
The victim was identified as Franklin Dwayne Gant-Smith, 52, who had also been known as Kevin Charm. Smith’s address was unknown. Next-of-kin were notified.
An autopsy performed by the NJ State Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the death was a homicide, the cause: a gunshot wound to the head.
A nineteen-month investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Northfield Police Department resulted today in the arrests for murder and additional charges of:
Kyleet Blakely, male, 38, of South Tennessee Avenue, Atlantic City, and
Jamal C. Bradford, male, 35, of the 3000 block of Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City.
- Both men were charged today with:
- Murder—a crime of the 1st degree,
- Conspiracy to Commit Murder—a 2nd degree crime,
- Possession of a Weapon (handgun) for an Unlawful Purpose—2nd degree,
- Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (handgun)—2nd degree,
- Conspiracy to Possess a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and
- Conspiracy to Unlawfully Possess a Weapon—both 3rd degree crimes.
Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Patricia M. Wild set bail on each man at $2,000,000 full cash. Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Detectives served the criminal complaints to Blakely and Bradford at the Atlantic County Justice Facility, where both men were being held on other charges.
A conviction for murder carries a potential sentence of incarceration in New Jersey State Prison for a period of 30 years to life. The potential penalty for a 2nd degree conviction is 5-10 years in prison, and the potential prison penalty for a 3rd degree conviction is 3-5 years.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at (609) 909-7666.
These charges are 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.
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