Essex County Barber Murdered In Hail Of Gunfire At Work, 3 Men Found Guilty

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Three men were recently convicted of murder and other crimes in connection with a fatal shooting that took place at a North Jersey barbershop.

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the shooting happened on Nov. 19, 2019 at the Cut Creators Barbershop on Clinton Place in Newark.

A Maplewood resident – Sabor Townes, 22 – was killed in the gunfire.

On Oct. 29 – several years after the shooting – a jury returned a verdict against three men: Daezhon Peterson, 25, of Maplewood; William James IV, 24, of Irvington; and Watson Delcy, 25, of Hillside.

The trial was delayed by repeated changes in defense attorneys and “extensive pretrial motions,” prosecutors said.

According to authorities, James and Peterson fired more than 25 rounds at Townes as he was cutting hair at the barbershop. Delcy was identified as the getaway driver of a stolen Toyota Corolla.

Townes was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other people were struck by gunfire and survived their injuries.

A third shooter was never identified, authorities said.

Peterson and James were each convicted of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree aggravated assault, three counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, and three counts of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Delcy was convicted of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder, and third-degree receiving stolen property.

The three defendants are scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 8, 2027. Each faces a sentence of 30 years to life in New Jersey state prison. James and Peterson face additional consecutive sentences of 10 to 20 years for the injuries sustained by the two surviving victims, prosecutors said.

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