Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo and Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced today the establishment of the North Jersey Regional Cold Case Task Force and the charging of a defendant in a 2005 cold case.
The Task Force, which originated as a joint effort between the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and the New Jersey State Police under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, has now expanded to include detectives from the Essex County and Passaic County Prosecutor’s Offices, and the Newark Police Department. It is dedicated to investigating and bringing closure to unsolved homicide and sexual assault cases in the three counties involved.
“When a crime goes unsolved – especially a crime like murder or rape – justice is denied, victims and survivors lack closure, and the community’s sense of security may be shaken,” said Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. “A dangerous criminal may be left free to strike again. This Regional Cold Case Task Force is demonstrating what can be achieved by pooling personnel, expertise and other resources. By sharing resources and employing new technologies using this type of task force model, we can crack cases that may be years or even decades old.”
“Each of the law enforcement agencies participating in the Cold Case Task Force has committed detectives full time to work together as we seek to bring justice to the many unsolved cases in our respective jurisdictions,” stated Acting Prosecutor Calo.
A recent Cold Case Task Force investigation has resulted in the identification and charging of a suspect in an unsolved 2005 sex assault case.
The basic facts of the recently solved case are as follows:
On Friday, April 15, 2005, the Palisades Park Police Department responded to a call for assistance in Palisades Park, New Jersey.
Upon arrival, the officers learned that a woman had been sexually assaulted at gunpoint by an unknown male who had fled the scene.
At that time, an investigation was initiated by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Palisades Park Police Department. However, no suspect was identified and the case went cold.
As a result of a renewed investigation conducted by the Cold Case Task Force, identified Roydell Cameron, 39, as the suspect and charged him with two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault, Possession Of A Weapon For Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession Of A Weapon, and Terroristic Threats.
Police arrested Cameron on March 29th at John F. Kennedy Airport, in Jamaica, New York by detectives of the Port Authority Police Department Criminal Investigation Bureau and was turned over to detectives from the Task Force. He is currently lodged in a New York City jail pending extradition to Bergen County.
Acting Prosecutor Calo additionally states that the charges are only accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.