As a follow-up to a previous post regarding the first murder in Essex Fells in over 30 years, the Newark man who pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and conspiracy to commitburglary charges in connection with the case, was recently sentenced in Essex County Superior Court.
After accepting a plea agreement from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office in late January, 28-year old Newark resident Shaun Woodson was sentenced to a 10-year term of incarceration in New Jersey State Prison on March 4th. Superior Court Judge Peter Vazquez imposed the sentence for Woodson’s participation in the burglary and murder of 91-year-old Robert Nevius, a retired executive and veteran of World War II, who was killed in his home in Essex Fells, New Jersey in April of 2010.
In a brutal slaying, electrical cord and packing tape were used to restrain his hands and feet, as Nevius was strangled, beaten with a stapler, and stabbed in the neck. According to the prosecution, there were two perpetrators, who subsequently stole thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry from the victim’s home. The other man with whom Woodson committed the crime, 32-year-old East Orange resident Reginald Anthony, was charged with murder, robbery, andconspiracy to commit burglary.
In 2012, Anthony was found guilty of the burglary charges and sentenced to a 20-year term of incarceration in New Jersey State Prison. He was acquitted on the charges for murder and robbery, as the jury found that prosecutors did not provide sufficient evidence to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
As for Woodson, he received a relatively less severe sentence than his accomplice, per the terms of his plea agreement. He will be required to serve 85 percent his sentence before becoming eligible for parole, as the aggravated manslaughter charges to which he pled guilty are among those enumerated under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (“NERA”). In addition, Woodson will be subject to a five-year period of parole following the conclusion of his sentence.
For more information pertaining to this case, access the following article: Newark man gets 10 years in killing of Essex Fells WWII vet
