South Toms River Man Gets 10 Years In Fatal 2015 Shooting

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A South Toms River man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in a 2015 fatal shooting, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Marcus Samuels, 32, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan to the 10-year sentence for his guilty plea to aggravated manslaughter in the June 8, 2015, killing of Willie Love, 27, of Beachwood, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, which requires he serve 85 percent of the sentence.

In addition, Samuels was sentenced to 10 years in prison on a charge of conspiracy to commit witness tampering, and five years on an unrelated aggravated assault charge in a May 3, 2015, incident in Seaside Heights.

Samuels pleaded guilty to the charges on June 4; the sentences will run concurrently, Billhimer said.

Police were called to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where Love had been taken after being shot in the chest, Billhimer said. Love later died of his injuries.

>>>Want to win Six Flags Great Adventure Season Passes? Here's how.

The investigation found that Samuels pulled up in a 2004 Dodge Nitro next to a vehicle driven by Love, who had three passengers, and Samuels then fired a handgun into Love’s vehicle, Billhimer said. The shot struck Love, which led to his death.

Samuels turned himself into law enforcement in the presence of his attorney on June 12, 2015, and has been in the Ocean County Jail since then.

While Samuels was in the Ocean County Jail, he conspired with other inmates to influence a witness into retracting or changing a statement previously provided to law enforcement in connection with the investigation, Billhimer said.

Chief Narcotics Assistant Prosecutor William Porter and Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke handled the case on behalf of the state. The following agencies participated in the investigation: the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, South Toms River Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Science.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.