Widespread Manhunt For NJ Road-Rage Slasher After Victim Dies

A widespread manhunt continues after a New Jersey man died 8 days after he was slashed in a road-rage attack during the second of three nor'easters to hit the region. Friends of the husband and father are raising money for the family in the aftermath of the attack, saying they are seeking "justice for Joe" (see below).

Joseph Pirri, 32, of Blackwood died Thursday, 8 days after the road-rage assault in Deptford Township happened at about 4:20 p.m. on March 7, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and the Deptford Township Police Department has announced.

Before dying, Pirri of Blackwood was able to provide a description of the man who attacked him on Tanyard Road near the intersection of Mail Avenue in Deptford Township.

Pirri was pronounced dead at 6:59 p.m. on Thursday, at Cooper Medical Center in Camden. The cause of death has been deemed an incised (sharp instrument) wound to the face, and his death has been ruled a homicide.

The assailant was described as an adult black man, wearing a gray vest and jeans. His vehicle was described as a white-over-tan Ford King Ranch pickup truck with a crew cab. The truck was equipped with a bed-mounted toolbox.

The vehicle 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.

Friends of the family, meanwhile, have set up a GoFundMe page and they've raised nearly $4,000 for Pirri's family. His obituary from the Kelly Funeral Home says he is survived by his wife, Megan; a 4-year-old son, Gino; a 9-year-old stepdaughter Alyssa Baker; mother, Mary; and sister, Nina Saez, among others.

"He had his whole life ahead of him. Joe was the true definition of a 'GOOD GUY,' " according to his GoFundMe page. "He would have given the shirt off his back to anyone or his last dollar if someone needed it."

"Joe was viciously slashed across his face by an evil, hateful monster in a road-rage incident," according to the page. "Joe was just trying to get home from work during the worst nor'easter of the year... Joe passed away 8 days after the attack, leaving his entire family devastated, heartbroken, and in shock."

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."

The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and the Deptford Police Department believe there are additional witnesses who may be able to provide information about the circumstances of the attack and its aftermath.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact GCPO Det. Warren Rivell at 609-685-7396 or Det. Rory Tipping of the Deptford PD at 856-462-1334.

The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office has been in continuous contact with the victim’s family during this ongoing investigation. It is requested that the privacy of the family be respected as they mourn their loss.

“Working as a team, we are tenaciously pursuing each and every lead and will not rest until we have apprehended and prosecuted the assailant in this attack,” Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles A. Fiore said. “We are confident this was an isolated incident. This type of violent and abhorrent outburst has no place in our communities. While we continue our investigation, we encourage anyone with information they believe will assist our efforts to reach out to our officers without delay.”

Services were Saturday, with interment at Eglington Cemetery.

YouTube video/photo

Photo courtesy of GoFundMe, a promotional partner of Patch