NEWARK, N.J. — A jury has convicted three men of murder in the November 2019 shooting of a 22-year-old barber who was cutting hair inside a Newark barbershop when gunmen opened fire, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Daezhon Peterson, 25, of Maplewood, William James IV, 24, of Irvington, and Watson Delcy, 25, of Hillside, were found guilty Oct. 29 after three days of deliberations, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II announced.
The victim, Sabor Townes, of Maplewood, was working at the Cut Creators Barbershop on Clinton Place on Nov. 19, 2019, when James and Peterson fired more than 25 rounds at him, according to the prosecutor’s office. Townes was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other people were hit by gunfire and survived. Authorities said a third shooter was never identified.
Prosecutors identified Delcy as the driver of the getaway car, a stolen Toyota Corolla.
Peterson and James were each convicted of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree aggravated assault, three counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and three counts of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Delcy was convicted of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder and third-degree receiving stolen property.
The prosecutor’s office said the trial, held before Superior Court Judge Christopher Romanyshyn, was delayed by repeated changes in defense attorneys and extensive pretrial motions. Assistant Prosecutors Jacqueline Bilinkas and Sean Bradley tried the case.
“This was a senseless act of violence and a tragedy for the Townes family. The jury’s verdict represents justice for a victim whose life was taken far too soon, while holding the defendants responsible for their heinous actions that night,” Bilinkas said after the verdict.
“This guilty verdict sends a clear message: those who take a life will be held fully accountable. The defendants acted together, and justice has prevailed for Sabor Townes, his family, and this community,” Bradley said.
The prosecutors credited detectives with the Essex County Homicide Task Force and officers of the Newark Police Division who responded to the shooting.
All three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 8, 2027. Each faces 30 years to life in state prison, and James and Peterson face additional consecutive terms of 10 to 20 years for the injuries to the two surviving victims, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The office asks anyone with information about criminal activity to call its confidential tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC (1-877-847-7432).
This report is based on information from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Source: Essex County Prosecutor’s Office press release
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