After 2 Trials, South Jersey Man Convicted Of Murder: Prosecutor

After two trials, a Burlington County man has been convicted of fatally shooting during a group fight two years ago, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced.

Anthony M. Harris, 32, of Beverly City, has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Ronald Walker, of Florence.

A charge of second-degree certain persons not to have a weapon was dismissed by the state upon the jury’s verdict.

Earlier this year, the Hon. Charles A. Delehey declared a mistrial in a case in which Harris faced the same charges when the jury indicated it could not reach a unanimous verdict on a murder charge. Harris was indicted for a second time on Sept. 25. Delehey also presided over the second trial. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 20.

Read more here: What Happens When A Criminal Case Ends In A Mistrial?

The jury found that Harris shot Walker on Sept. 21, 2016, when his group went to Zinc Street in Florence. Zinc Street is an alley that runs between Second and Third streets.

Walker was taken to Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County, where he was pronounced dead at 8:21 p.m. that night. An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined that Walker died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

Harris was arrested on May 23, 2017, in an apartment on West Trenton Avenue in Falls Township, Pa., as part of an initiative targeting violent criminals with outstanding warrants, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

He was arrested by officers from the Burlington County Sheriff's Department Warrant Unit, the Florence Township Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the Pemberton Township Police Department, the United States Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Willingboro Police Department. Assistance was provided by the Mercer County Sheriff's Department.

Harris was processed by the Falls Township Police Department on a Fugitive From Justice warrant and taken to the Bucks County Jail in Doylestown Township, PA, where he was lodged on $500,000 bail. He was then extradited to New Jersey and was detained in the Burlington County Jail.

The attached image of Anthony Harris was provided by the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.