The man charged with the murder of an Atlantic City woman in Atlantic City two weeks ago was arrested last week in North Carolina, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Diane Ruberton announced.
Joseph McCoy, 43, Atlantic City, charged two days after the murder and weapons possession charges, was arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina by officers of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on Wednesday, January 4, 2017, without incident, and remains in custody pending extradition proceedings.
Atlantic City Police responded on Tuesday, December 20, 2016, at 4:22 a.m., to 326 North Tennessee Avenue, Apartment 3, Atlantic City, NJ, for a report that a woman had been found dead inside the home.
Atlantic City EMS, AtlanticCare paramedics, and detectives of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit also responded.
Upon arrival, police found Jacqueline Hoyle, 23-years-old, of the same address, dead of an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.
An autopsy performed on Thursday, December 22, 2016, by the New Jersey Southern Regional Medical Examiner Office determined the cause of death to be a single gunshot wound, and the manner of death: homicide.
An intensive 2-day investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department led to the issuance of a warrant complaint against Joseph McCoy on December 22, 2016, for the following charges:
Murder, that he “did purposely or knowingly cause the death of Jacqueline Hoyle...by shooting her at close range”—a crime of the 1st degree;
Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose—2nd degree, and;
Possession of a Weapon by a Convicted Felon—a 2nd-degree crime.
Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Patricia M. Wild set bail on the charges at $750,000 full cash / no bond.
A conviction for murder carries a potential sentence of incarceration in New Jersey State Prison for 30 years to life. A 2nd-degree conviction carries a possible sentence of 5-10 years in prison.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department continue the investigation of the crime, and the search for McCoy.
Anyone with information about this incident, or the location of the defendant, is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 609-909-7666. Witnesses may also contact the Atlantic City Police Department Investigations Division at (609)-347-5766.