Murder Of Camden Cyclist Has Man Facing Life In Prison

CAMDEN, NJ — A jury convicted a man Wednesday for the fatal shooting of a Camden bicyclist. Maurice Peaker, Jr. faces life in prison for the slaying of Thomas Smith, which occurred exactly two years before the guilty verdict.

Peaker, 28, of Philadelphia, was convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 10.

In the early morning of Aug. 15, 2021, Camden County police were notified of six rounds fired around the 1100 block of Kaighn Avenue. Officers found the victim — later identified as Smith — suffering from apparent gunshot wounds on the sidewalk. Officials took the 67-year-old Camden resident to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after.

Detectives reviewed surveillance footage and determined that someone in a passing vehicle shot Smith as he crossed Kaighn Avenue on a bicycle. Law enforcement found the vehicle was a 2000 Nissan Maxima with damage to the passenger taillight and identified the license plate through an automated plate reader, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office (CCPO).

The vehicle was found at an apartment building on the 200 block of Oakland Avenue in Audubon, authorities said. Detectives obtained surveillance video from the area and determined Peaker was driving the vehicle during the morning of the incident. Peaker was living at the apartment building with a girlfriend, the CCPO said.

The footage showed Peaker entering and exiting the apartment building several times on the morning of the shooting, according to law enforcement. Peaker returned less than 10 minutes after the shooting, the CCPO said. He was carrying a tote bag, which detectives recovered, that later tested positive for chemical elements that are characteristic of gunshot residue, according to officials.

Detectives also searched the Nissan Maxima and found a shell casing of the same caliber and manufacturer of the five shell casings recovered at the scene. Ballistics later confirmed that all six shell casings were discharged from the same gun, the CCPO said.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Service apprehended Peaker on Aug. 26, 2021, in Yeadon, Pennsylvania.