A Hamilton Township man, Joseph Morrison, was indicted on Wednesday for the murder of his live-in girlfriend, Debra J. Mason, last November, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.
On Wednesday, November 26, 2014 at approximately 9:55 p.m., the Township of Hamilton Police Department responded to the Harding Lakes section of the township for a report that a victim had suffered a gunshot to the chest.
An investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Township of Hamilton Police Department determined that Morrison shot his 52-year-old girlfriend in the chest. The investigation led to the subsequent arrest of Joseph Morrison on the charges of murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Morrison was detained on $1,000,000 full cash bail set by Superior Court Judge Mark Sandson. Morrison was subsequently lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
Morrison was indicted for Murder—a crime of the 1st degree, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm — a crime of the 2nd degree, and Aggravated Assault by Pointing a Firearm — a 4th degree crime.
A conviction for a crime of the 1st degree carries a potential penalty of 10-20 years of incarceration in New Jersey prison; a 2nd degree conviction: 5-10 years in prison.