Death of Newark political leader ruled homicide

  Eyewitness NewsNEWARK -- The death of a longtime Democratic Party official whose decomposed body was found in his Newark home this week has been ruled a homicide.

Essex County Prosecutor's Office Chief of Detectives Anthony Ambrose tells the Star-Ledger (http://bit.ly/T3Zy0g) that an autopsy determined that 64-year-old Gary Freda apparently was stabbed to death.

But further details, including how and when the slaying may have occurred, were not disclosed.

Ambrose said no arrests have been made.

Freda's body was found around 5:30 p.m. Thursday in his single-family home on the 300 block of Park Avenue, where he lived alone.

He had served as the Democratic Party's district leader for his area for many years.

---
Get Eyewitness News Delivered

Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters | Text Alerts

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more New Jersey News »

new jersey, newark, new jersey news

View the original article here

1978 NJ killings defendant ruled fit for trial

  Eyewitness NewsNEWARK -- A judge has ruled a man charged with killing five teenagers in Newark, N.J., in 1978 is competent to stand trial.

Superior Court Judge Patricia Costello ruled Monday defendant Lee Evans is capable of understanding the case against him.

The judge denied a motion by the Essex County prosecutor's office that would've required Evans to undergo a psychological examination.

Assistant prosecutor Peter Guarino tells Newark's The Star-Ledger newspaper he filed the request to try to head off the possibility Evans would argue on appeal that he was incompetent.

Evans and a cousin are charged with luring the teens to an abandoned building, tying them up and setting the building on fire in a dispute over stolen drugs. The bodies were never recovered.

Evans and his cousin have pleaded not guilty.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more New Jersey News »

new jersey, new jersey news

View the original article here