2 Short Hills Mall Murder Suspects Enter Guilty Pleas

SHORT HILLS, NJ — The final two suspects in the 2013 slaying of Hoboken attorney Dustin Friedland at The Mall At Short Hills entered guilty pleas on Tuesday, prosecutors said.

Karif Ford, 35, of Newark, and Hanif Thompson, 32, of Irvington, pleaded guilty to their respective roles in the crime that resulted in the death of 30-year-old Hoboken lawyer Dustin Friedland, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office stated Tuesday.

Ford and Thompson were part of a scheme to go to the mall looking for high-end cars. They killed Friedland while trying to take his new Range Rover, prosecutors said.

On Tuesday, Ford pleaded guilty to one count of first -carjacking. Thompson, the shooter, pleaded guilty to felony murder and unlawful possession of a handgun, prosecutors said.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Ford must serve 85 percent of a 20-year sentence before he is eligible for parole and Thompson must serve 30 years before he is eligible for parole, prosecutors said.

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Essex County prosecutors provided the following description of the events that led to Friedland’s death:

“Newlyweds, the Friedlands had gone to the mall on Dec. 15, 2013 when the four defendants came to the mall looking for a car to steal. As Mr. Friedland helped his wife into their Range Rover and walked back to the driver’s side of the vehicle, Thompson approached him and demanded his keys. A struggle ensued and Thompson shot Friedland.”

Friedland – an attorney in Hoboken - was pronounced dead following the shooting at Morristown Medical Center. His wife wasn’t injured but was also transported to the hospital following the incident, the Essex County Prosecutor’s office previously stated.

• See related article: Short Hills Mall’s Insurer May Be On Hook For Fatal Carjacking Lawsuit

Basim Henry, 36, of South Orange, the getaway driver, went to trial and was convicted on all counts. He was sentenced to life in prison, prosecutors stated.

• See related article: Short Hills Mall Murder Trial: Getaway Driver Gets Life In Prison

A fourth suspect in the slaying, Kevin Roberts, 39, of Newark, entered a guilty plea in July to first-degree carjacking and is facing a 20-year sentence. He must serve 85 percent of that sentence before he is eligible for parole, prosecutors said.

• See related article: 2nd Short Hills Mall Murder Suspect Pleads Guilty, But May Avoid Murder Charge

“The resolution of the remaining cases spares the victim’s widow from having to testify on two more occasions and brings some finality to this case which has been an unspeakable nightmare for the family,” Assistant Prosecutor Brian Matthews said.

• See related article: Short Hills Mall Murder Trial (Widow Gives Harrowing Court Testimony)

Sentencing for Ford, Thompson and Roberts is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 18. All three defendants are expected to sentenced on the same day, prosecutors said.

REMEMBERING DUSTIN FRIEDLAND

Friedland’s Facebook page said he was a graduate of Toms River North High School and a 2006 graduate of Bucknell University.

The Asbury Park Press reported that in 1999, Friedland was named Eagle Scout for Troop 29 in Toms River and in 2002, the 19-year-old Friedland posed as George Washington for an America’s Day celebration at the Pine Beach Elementary School.

He competed in the N.J. Rowing Championship in 2001, and as a swimmer, placed third in the Toms River North-Brick Memorial 500-yard freestyle meet in 2000, according to reports. More recently, Friedland had been a member of the Hoboken Harriers Running Club.

Friedland, a 2009 grad of Syracuse Law School, was a project manager/estimator at Neptune-based Epic Mechanical Inc., according to his LinkedIn profile.

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File Photo: Dustin Friedland, right, and wife Jamie Schare Friedland