Man Sentenced in Maplewood Murder

An Orange man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the death of a Maplewood man named Arthur Downey.

Downey and was discovered by his roommate. police discovered his car and Xbox video game system missing, before linking his death to John Staten. The two men had apparently met through a telephone chat service.

Staten was originally charged with murder after he , but pleaded in the death of Downey, who was a chef at Rutgers.

On Tuesday, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said Staten was sentenced to 18 years in prison by state Superior Court Judge Peter J. Vazquez. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Margarita Rivera. Rivera said Tuesday, "As his family so eloquently stated, Mr. Downey was an aspiring chef who had so much to live for and his life was taken for no reason. This was a terrible tragedy." 

Staten has five prior convictions and 17 prior arrests. He has been in prison since his arrest in October 2010. He must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

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