Burlington County Man Pleads Guilty To Fatal Shooting On Crowded Street: Prosecutor

A Burlington County man has pleaded guilty to the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old man on a crowded street last year, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said.

Samuel James, 27, of Burlington City, pleaded guilty to one count of murder. Under the plea agreement, the counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon will be dropped at sentencing, which is scheduled for Aug. 11.

He must serve 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole. He remains lodged in the Burlington County Jail on $1 million bail with no 10 percent option.

James was arrested on Aug. 22, 2016, at the home of an acquaintance in Barrington, Camden County, by members of the Burlington County Sheriff's Department Warrant Unit, who were working in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force.

He was charged in connection with the the murder of Byron Turner. On Tuesday, he admitted that on Aug. 20, 2016, he fired several shots toward a group of people in the 100 block of East Federal Street in Burlington City Coffina said.

A five-year-old-girl in the area was also injured while running from James' gunfire, but she wasn't shot. She was treated and released from Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County in Willingboro.

According to Coffina, James said the bullet that struck Turner in the head and ended his life was meant for someone else.

“Samuel James walked through a crowded street with a gun in his hand, murder on his mind, and a complete disregard for those in front of him as he fired,” Coffina said. “His callous, depraved actions showed that he places no value on human life. Fortunately, society will be safer over the next three decades while he serves his sentence in state prison.”

The attached image of Samuel James was provided by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office