West Orange Man Sentenced For 2 Murders In Nearby Towns

THE ORANGES, NJ — A West Orange man was sentenced to 100 years in state prison this week for killing two people: one in East Orange and the other in Orange.

Darneil Thomas, 26, of West Orange, must serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors previously released the following details about the murders, which took place four years ago:

“On March 15, 2022 at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Hilton Street in East Orange, [Thomas] and three other individuals opened fire on Qusim Rooks and David Escobar. During the attack, Thomas shot his associate, Joshua Dessin in the back of the head causing his death. The following day, Thomas traveled to Scotland Road in Orange and fatally shot Anton Douglas while Douglas was working at a mechanic’s shop. Douglas was struck multiple times, including three gunshot wounds to the head.”

A jury found Thomas guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of attempted murder and related weapons offenses in June.

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