Arrest Made In South Jersey Road-Rage Slasher Death: Cops

An arrest has been made in the case of a New Jersey man who was killed in a road rage attack that happened during a nor’easter earlier this year.

Everett E. Moore Jr., 54, of Clayton, was arrested at a gas station in Williamstown Wednesday morning, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office announced. He was charged with murder in the death of 32-year-old Joseph Pirri, of Blackwood. Pirri died eight days after a road rage assault in Deptford Township on March 7, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office and the Deptford Township Police Department.

Moore, a construction worker, was arrested by officers of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Marshal’s Service and Monroe Township Police Department. He is charged with first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon and fourth-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He is being held pending a detention hearing.

Pirri was severely slashed in the face as he sat in his stopped Nissan Versa southbound on Tanyard Road near the intersection of Mail Avenue in Deptford in heavy snow at about 4:20 p.m. on March 7, according to the prosecutor's office. which was assisted by eight law enforcement agencies in the investigation.

Police said Moore drove a Ford F-150 King Ranch pickup truck that illegally passed Pirri and stopped in front of his car. Moore then got out of the truck, which is registered to his wife, and attacked Pirri with a sharp instrument while Pirri was sitting in his car. No one else was in either car at the time of the attack.

Moore left the scene on Tanyard Road where it and Pirri's red Nissan Versa had stopped, proceeding south to the end of the road "in an aggressive manner," police said. It then turned right onto Barnsboro Road, left onto Woodbury–Glassboro Road. It continued south to Route 47, traveling through Glassboro. The truck then traveled into Clayton Borough.

Pirri was hospitalized, and died on March 15. The cause of death was determined to be an incised wound to the face and the manner of death was determined to be homicide. Before dying, Pirri was able to provide a description of the man who attacked him.

Video from several sources show the Moore pickup behind the Pirri car as the two vehicles traveled south on Tanyard Road, as the pickup passed the Versa and as Moore’s truck proceeded from the scene of the attack to his home in Clayton. During the investigation, video was obtained from some 20 locations, police said.

Witness interviews and video evidence establish that Moore drove the pickup truck before and after the incident, police said.

Investigators are still seeking information from anyone who may have seen Moore or Pirri at the scene or as their vehicles were in transit. Anyone with information is asked to contact GCPO Det. Warren Rivell at 609-685-7396 or Det. John Gigante at 609-929-7679.

Information can also be e-mailed to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at tips@co.gloucester.nj.us, or visit https://mypolicedepartment.org/gloucester-county-prosecutor-office/tipline, or download the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office myPD smartphone app, which can be downloaded free at the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.

Pirri, who was married and a father of two children, was described as a “GOOD GUY." "He would have given the shirt off his back to anyone or his last dollar if someone needed it," a GoFundMe page that raised just over $13,000 for the family read.

His obituary says he was born in Woodbury and was a graduate of Pitman High School in 2004. He was employed by LKQ Auto Parts in West Deptford. "Joe loved his family and was an avid Eagles and Jersey Devils fan. He enjoyed video games and bingo."

After the announcement of the arrest, Pirri's cousin thanked everyone for their support and tips in a Reddit post.

The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office was assisted by eight law enforcement agencies in the investigation, including the New Jersey State Police Real-Time Crime Center-South, the United States Marshal’s Service, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Deptford, Mantua, Clayton, West Deptford, Westville, Glassboro and Woodbury police departments.

See related: Widespread Manhunt For NJ Road-Rage Slasher After Victim Dies

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