Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri and Ewing Police Chief John Stemler reported today that a husband and wife have been charged with the last month’s shooting death of 58- year-old William Blackwell in Ewing Township.
Police said Lewis Norwood and Daphne Conklin Norwood both of Washington D.C., were taken into custody last week in Alabama.
Each is charged with first- degree murder, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and second- degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
According to authorities, at approximately 5:42 a.m. on October 23, 2016, Ewing police responded to 200 Homecrest Avenue on a report of a white male laying on the ground not breathing, possibly suffering from a gunshot wound.
Upon arrival, officers located the victim, identified as Blackwell.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim’s stepdaughter, Conklin Norwood, and her husband, Norwood, became persons of interest.
An investigation progressed through the efforts of prosecutor’s Detective Joe Angarone and the Mercer County Homicide Task Force, and detectives were lead through several New Jersey municipalities, into Washington D.C. and Enterprise, Alabama.
Bail for Norwood and Conklin Norwood was set at $1 million full cash and $750,000 full cash, respectively. Both defendants remain in custody in Alabama pending transportation to New Jersey.
There are no scheduled court dates at this time.
Onofri expressed his gratitude to the Enterprise (Alabama) Police Department, the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Unit and the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force for their assistance with the investigation.
Despite having been charged, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.