Mass Murderer Indicted For Shooting Spree In Union County

ELIZABETH, NJ — A Union County man who went on a shooting spree, killing three people and injuring another, in Elizabeth in 2015 was indicted, Acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Wednesday.

Todd West, 24, of Elizabeth was charged in the first indictment with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with the May 18, 2015 shooting death of 29 year-old Michael Thompkins of Elizabeth (who is West's cousin).

The second indictment of West arose from a shooting spree on June 25, 2015 in Elizabeth and charges him with three counts of murder for the shooting deaths of: 29 year-old Dennis Vega of Elizabeth, 29 year-old Jamil Payne of Elizabeth, and 32 year-old Kelvin Nelson of Elizabeth, as well as one count of attempted murder in the shooting of the only surviving victim of the shooting spree, 24 year-old Richard Marte of Elizabeth.

That indictment also charges him with several weapons counts for the June 25 incidents.

The shooting spree began on June 25, 2015 around 2:30 a.m. when Elizabeth Police reported receiving frantic calls from witnesses who heard gunshots and reported that a man was lying on the ground at the intersection of New Point Road and Seventh Street.

At the scene, police found Dennis Vega who had been shot several times and was soon thereafter pronounced dead.

Later that night, shortly after 9:50 p.m., Elizabeth Police Department units reported receiving calls about more shots being fired in the area of Sixth Street and South Park Street. At the scene, they found Jamil Payne lying in the middle of South Park Street suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Payne was pronounced dead at the scene.

About an hour later, just before 10:50 p.m., while investigators were still on scene at the location of Payne’s shooting, more shots fired were being reported in front of 320 Clark Place, less than a mile away from Payne’s murder.

Police found Kelvin Nelson dead at the scene after having been shot numerous times, according to the report.

Less than 10 minutes after the first reports of Kelvin Nelson’s shooting, Elizabeth Police Dispatch reported receiving yet another call that several shots had been fired, this time at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Julia Street.

When police got there, they found Richard Marte alive and suffering from severe gunshot wounds. Marte was taken to a local hospital and treated for the gunshot wounds. Marte survived those injuries, Park noted.

During the investigation it was found that the same car was at the scene of each shooting and the same .38-caliber, six-shot revolver was used in all of the June 25 shootings.

Todd West was found to be responsible for the June 25 murder of Jamil Payne following an exhaustive investigation conducted by members of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, in conjunction with the Elizabeth Police Department, the Union County Police Department and Sheriff’s Offices, as well as other law enforcement agencies.

An intensive manhunt spearheaded by Union County authoritiess was started when police found out West had fled the Elizabeth area on July 2 before they could arrest him.

“Shortly after committing his murders and an attempted murder here in Elizabeth, West fled the area, eventually making his way to Pennsylvania, where he then killed 3 other innocent people in a shooting spree on July 5, 2015," said Union County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Henn, who is prosecuting West.

On July 6, 2015, Todd West was arrested in Allentown, Pennsylvania for the shooting death of two people in Allentown and one person in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Following an investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force and the aforementioned agencies West was also charged with murder, attempted murder, and weapons charges for the June 25 shooting spree.

It was also found that West was responsible for the murder of his cousin, 29 year-old Michael Thompkins, who was found shot to death in a second-floor hallway of his apartment building on Parker Road in Elizabeth on May 18.

In Pennsylvania, West pled guilty in Lehigh County Court, on Oct. 27 of this year, to three counts of first-degree murder. He claimed the devil made him murder random victims in Elizabeth and the Lehigh Valley so he could avoid the death penalty.

West was subsequently sentenced, on those charges, to three consecutive life terms of imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

West will be transferred back to New Jersey in the near-future to be formally arraigned and “to face justice for the killings and the attempted murder that he committed here in our State," Henn said.

(Image via Union County Prosecutor's Office: Todd West, 24, of Elizabeth)

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