A man charged in the shooting death of a Bridgeton resident and the wounding of a second man will remain jailed pending trial, a judge ruled Friday afternoon.
Derrell Martin, 19, of Bridgeton is charged in the Oct. 8 killing of 21-year-old Tyrese J. McNair.
Bridgeton Police responded to a home on Vine Street around 10:30 p.m. and found McNair dead of multiple gunshot wounds in the kitchen. Investigators found 12 shell casings near the victim, who was shot in the chest and arms, according to court documents.
Another 21-year-old was found near the scene with wounds to the abdomen and arm. He was take to Cooper University Hospital for treatment, authorities said.
Surveillance video shows Martin parking an SUV near the home, exiting the vehicle and walking in the direction of the residence, then running back and driving off after the shooting, Assistant Prosecutor Shari-Ann Sasu stated during the Friday hearing.
Gunshots were captured on surveillance video from the area.
Sasu described a passenger in the SUV, but that person’s role in the incident wasn’t clear from testimony offered Friday.
The wounded man reported that he was fired on by someone dressed all in black and wearing a mask, authorities said.
A resident who was upstairs in the home at the time told police that Martin came into the house and greeted her prior to the shooting, police said. The resident, who said McNair previously mentioned having problems with Martin, reported hearing six gunshots a short time later, officials said.
When someone came downstairs to investigate, the person found the house dark and that lightbulbs on the first floor had been removed, Sasu said.
Martin was arrested Oct. 22 at a residence in Cedarville, where police said he could be seen tossing a handgun from the rear of a residence into a wooded area prior to his arrest. A handgun with an extended magazine was recovered from the wooded area, Sasu noted, adding that ballistics tests are being conducted on that weapon.
Martin was charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault and weapons offenses, and faces a potential life sentence if convicted on the murder charge.
Assistant Deputy Public Defender Christine Long said the home where the shooting occurred is a “known drug house” and noted that several occupants ran from the scene when the shooting began. Witnesses were uncooperative and at least one appeared highly intoxicated, according to her reviews of police body camera footage. She questioned the reliability of witness statements and asked how a positive identification could be made, since the shooter was described as wearing a face mask. Long also questioned why her client would enter the home and identify himself to another resident prior to committing the crime.
The attorney also expressed concerns about the adequacy of the investigation and securing of the crime scene. Long described the actions of an officer who can be heard complaining about having to wear a body camera and said she turned it off and on a few times while at the scene. “It’s unclear to my why you would be hiding your actions,” the attorney said. “That’s the exact opposite of the purpose of body worn cameras. It’s to increase accountability.”
Superior Court Judge Mary Beth Kramer found probable cause for the charges, citing the weight of the evidence offered by the prosecution.
In arguing for his pre-trial detention, Sasu pointed to Martin’s juvenile criminal history, which includes gun charges and resisting arrest, along with a resisting arrest conviction as an adult. He also has a record of failing to appear for hearings, she said.
In addition, Martin currently has cases pending in three counties, the prosecutor noted, and she argued that the severity of the charges in the murder case makes him a flight risk.
Long described her client as a lifelong local resident and a father of two kids who has plenty of family support in the area. She acknowledged his past record, but said he was “fully cooperative” with police when he was arrested in this case.
Kramer cited Martin’s “very concerning” juvenile record, his access to weapons and his failure to appear history as factors in ordering him jailed pending trial.
He remains in Cumberland County Jail and will next return to court for a pre-indictment conference.
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Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
Man jailed pending trial in South Jersey shooting that killed 1, wounded another - NJ.com
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