South Jersey Man Sentenced In 2015 Fatal Shooting

A South Jersey man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison in connection with a fatal shooting that took place in 2015, according to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. Samuel Lopez, 20 of Camden, will be required to serve about 38 years and four months of the sentence before he becomes eligible for parole.

He was previously found guilty of first-degree felony murder, first-degree armed robbery, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon on Oct. 5, 2017, after a jury trial.

At the trial, Assistant Prosecutor Mike Mink presented evidence convincing the jury that Lopez shot 34-year-old Jose Franco, of Camden, during an armed robbery in the area of 28th Street and Pierce Avenue in Camden around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 27, 2015. Franco died of his inuries at Cooper University Hospital. Lopez was arrested in Florida by the U.S. Marshals on Dec. 10, 2015, after he fled the scene.

The attached image of Samuel Lopez was previously provided by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office