Jury Indicts 2 Men For N.J. College Student’s Frathouse Murder

NEWARK, NJ — An Essex County grand jury has indicted two men in connection with the May murder of a Freehold resident and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) student, authorities say.

Jury members indicted Nafee Cotman, 19, of Irvington and Taquan Harris, 22, of Newark, for the murder of Joseph Micalizzi, 23, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office stated Wednesday.

According to prosecutors, Micalizzi was fatally shot on May 2, during a burglary at Tau Kappa Epsilon off-campus fraternity house located in the 300 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Newark.

Micalizzi was inside the Tau Kappa Epsilon house when the intruders entered through a rear door; after a struggle, they fired multiple shots, hitting Micalizzi in the hand and head, according to NJ.com.

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Tributes were set up for Micalizzi, who had transferred from Brookdale and was a beloved member of the TKE fraternity. Some of his Facebook friends changed their profile photos to the TKE symbol as a tribute.

Shortly after the incident, NJIT offered an award of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.

“I am saddened to inform you that the student shot early this morning during a burglary has died,” the school's president, Joel Bloom, stated at the time. “This is a tragic time for the student's family, friends and the entire NJIT campus and we extend our thoughts and prayers to all affected.”

• See related article: Man Killed In N.J. College Fraternity House Shooting

Cotman and Harris are charged with murder, felony murder, robbery, burglary, unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, prosecutors stated.

The two men are expected to be arraigned on the charges in the indictment on Oct. 17. Both remain at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark as of Wednesday.

Photo: NBC 4 New York

Editor's Note: Due to an error in a news release from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, an earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Joseph Micalizzi as a Toms River resident. He was a Freehold resident; we apologize for any confusion.