A man charged with robbery and murder is currently on trial in connection with an incident that occurred in Verona, New Jersey in 2009. During a recent hearing in Essex County Superior Court, the defendant’s cousin, who previously pleaded guilty to his role in the crime, testified on behalf of the prosecution in the case.
48-year-old Raymond Perry, also known as Tariq Kyam, is accused of robbing a Sunoco gas station in Verona on February 22, 2009. Further, Perry allegedly shot and killed 29-year-old Boonton resident Daniel Pritchard, who was working behind the counter at the time.
According to court documents, Pritchard had notified that security company responsible for monitoring the station via a panic button just moments before he was shot.
After the security company notified law enforcement authorities, police arrived on the scene to investigate, but Perry and his accomplice had already fled in a stolen vehicle. The accomplice, Perry’s cousin, 30-year-old David Fate, previously admitted to participating in the robbery and agreed to testify against Perry in exchange for a plea agreement from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
When Assistant Prosecutor Cheryl Cucinello questioned Fate on Wednesday, April 2nd, he testified to the fact that he witnessed the aforementioned sequence of events while sitting in the passenger seat of the stolen car in which the two were traveling. Conversely, the defense attempted to undermine Fate’s testimony, arguing that he had lied previously, claiming it was someone other than Perry with whom he stole the car.
Other evidence cited by the prosecution in this case includes the victim’s cell phone, which was discovered at Perry’s girlfriend’s residence in Newark. In addition, investigators found the .25-caliber revolver which they have identified as the murder weapon.
Officials from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office also believe that Perry and Fate were responsible for a number of other robberies, one of which involved a shooting, which occurred in the weeks prior to the Verona incident.
Trial proceedings are ongoing in Perry’s case and the outcome remains unknown. However, one thing is for certain, Perry could be sentenced to a term of incarceration ranging from 30 years to life if he is found guilty of murder. On the other hand, if the jury convicts him solely for the robbery charges, he is still subject to a 10 to 20-year term of imprisonment.
For more information pertaining to this case, access the following article: Witness: Verona gas station attendant hit panic button before fatal shooting
