Accused Double Murderer Will Be Out Of Jail Sooner Than You'd Think

Shawn Hartwell allegedly shot and killed two people three years apart.

But he could be out of jail way sooner than you'd think.

Hartwell could be released from prison in about 4 to 6 years after he plea bargained twice — despite the fact that police and prosecutors argued that he played a role in two violent killings.

Here's why:

• One murder charge against Hartwell was dismissed last year after he pleaded guilty to weapons charges stemming from the Nov. 9, 2011 killing of Montau McCloud, 31, of Linden, according to nj.com. For that crime, state records say he could be released after serving less than 10 years.
• Last month, Hartwell pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated manslaughter for the 2008 fatal shooting of Bashon Rose, 22, of Newark, who allegedly was a member of a rival street gang. Two witnesses, both of them prison inmates, refused to testify in court, according to the report.

Hartwell, 27, of Elizabeth has been in custody since he was first arrested in November 2011; court records say those years will be credited toward his sentence.

In 2012, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office initially charged Hartwell, a member of the Crips street gang, of murder in the shooting death of Rose, a confirmed member of the Valentine Set of the Bloods.

That incident happened around 11 p.m. on Dec. 26, 2008 in Roselle, in the area of Drake Ave. and St. Georges Avenue, according to the Union County Prosecutor's Office.

At the time, Hartwell had been incarcerated since Nov. 10, 2011 on murder charges stemming from the Nov. 9, 2011 shooting death of McCloud. That shooting occurred in Roselle at approximately 11:30 pm in the area of the 1100 block of Warren Street.

McCloud had no gang affiliation and that incident appeared to be caused by an ongoing dispute. Hartwell’s bail in this matter was set at $2 million, for a total of $5 million bail on both charges.