Three charged in 2009 murder of New Jersey school teacher
FREEHOLD, N.J. --Three men have been charged with the 2009 murder of a New Jersey school teacher, reports CBS New York.
Jonelle Melton, a 33-year-old seventh-grade teacher who was also a yearbook adviser, and a cheerleading and dance coach at Red Bank Middle School, was killed in her central New Jersey apartment in September 2009, prosecutors said.
James Fair, 27, Ebenezer Byrd, 35, and Gregory Jean-Baptiste, 26, all of Asbury Park, each face several charges, including first-degree felony murder and first-degree robbery.
Investigators believe the men planned to burglarize a specific apartment in the complex and broke into Melton's home by mistake. They then brutally beat the woman to death, prosecutors said. According to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers, she was discovered by a family member after she did not show up at school.
"As we get information, it's like a puzzle," Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni told the station. "Each piece of information constitutes a piece of the puzzle, and when you put it all together, the picture becomes clear, and that's what happened. And we got to the point where we believe we can prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt. So we charged them all..."
The three suspects were already jailed on unrelated charges. Fair is awaiting trial on a 219-count indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy, attempted murder, robbery and numerous drug and weapons offenses. Byrd is serving a 12-year prison sentence for two separate Asbury Park shootings in 2009. And Jean-Baptiste is awaiting trial on three separate indictments charging him with drug distribution and gun possession.
If convicted of murder, they could each get 30 years to life in prison.
Authorities said the case was one of the first to utilize the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line and reward program, which in their pleas for help solving the case characterized Melton as a religious woman with "bubbly" personality, who enjoyed doing hair and makeup.