By: Richard L. Smith
A Plainfield man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 murder of Dax Rowland, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II announced.
Marcus Harris, 48, was convicted of first-degree murder and multiple firearms offenses in December 2024.
The Honorable Michael L. Ravin, J.S.C., presided over both the trial and the sentencing.
According to prosecutors, Harris shot and killed Rowland on March 16, 2019, following an argument at the intersection of Renner Avenue and Goodwin Avenue in Newark. 
He used an unregistered handgun to fire multiple shots at Rowland, who died from his injuries.
“This was a senseless act of violence that caused the tragic loss of a young man’s life,” said Assistant Prosecutor Austin Edwards.
Harris has a lengthy criminal history, with six prior convictions for offenses including aggravated assault, burglary, theft, rioting, escape, and conspiracy to commit robbery.
Under New Jersey law, he will be required to serve at least 63 years before becoming eligible for parole.