By: Richard L. Smith
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II reported the conviction of Edwin Andujar for the murder of 59-year-old Thomas Parent, a Belleville resident.
The jury reached the verdict on January 25, following a trial presided over by Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin. Andujar was found guilty of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a firearm for an illegal purpose.
The incident, which occurred on August 7, 2014, unfolded when Belleville Police were summoned to Parent's residence at 26 Wallace Street.
Officers found Parent, who was wheelchair-bound, with multiple stab wounds in his abdomen and back and a defensive wound on his arm.
A witness reported seeing Andujar with a bloody knife standing over Parent before the police arrived.
During his arrest, Andujar confessed to the stabbing, and a bloody serrated steak knife was discovered under Parent's wheelchair.
Assistant Prosecutor Michele Miller highlighted the brutality of the crime, noting that Andujar stabbed the defenseless Parent approximately a dozen times.
Miller dismissed Andujar's claim of self-defense, emphasizing the overwhelming evidence and Andujar's own statements at the time of the murder.
Assistant Prosecutor Monica Calderon echoed these sentiments, thanking the jury for their diligent work and asserting that the attack was a deliberate act on a vulnerable individual, not a case of self-defense.
The family of Thomas Parent, as well as the prosecuting team, are hoping for closure with this verdict. Andujar now faces life imprisonment, with sentencing scheduled for April 5, 2024.