By: Yuritza Arroyo
A pair of relatives have each been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their respective roles in a botched robbery that culminated with a fatal shooting in 2018, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Thursday.
According to officials, Marcus Morrisey, 52, received a sentence of life in state prison – defined by state law as 75 years – and his 30-year-old nephew, Danron Morrisey, received a sentence of 55 years, under the terms set down yesterday.
Officials say both sentences are subject to New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA), meaning a minimum of 85 percent of the term must be served before the possibility of parole.
At approximately 9:21 p.m. on Saturday, November 10, 2018, members of the Neptune Township Police Department responded to a report of a person being shot at 1030 Old Corlies Avenue.
According to Police, responding officers arrived to find the victim, 43-year-old Randolph Goodman, who had sustained a gunshot to his abdomen. Goodman was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased several hours later.
Police say a joint investigation involving members of the MCPO Major Crimes Bureau and the Neptune Township Police Department was immediately launched, and it resulted in the identification of the Morriseys as the individuals responsible for the shooting.
Marcus Morrisey was apprehended on Thursday, November 29, 2018, while Danron Morrisey was taken into custody on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.
According to authorities, both men were subsequently indicted in February 2019.
Following a three-week trial before Judge Lemieux, on Monday, February 13, a jury found both men guilty of Murder, Felony Murder, Armed Robbery, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose.
Officials say Marcus Morrisey was additionally convicted of Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (a stun gun) and Possession of a Weapon (a stun gun) for an Unlawful Purpose.
The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Michael Luciano and Ellyn Rajfer, who during yesterday’s sentencing hearing described how, motivated in part by a “perceived slight,” the two defendants planned and executed a robbery of Goodman at his home.
Describing the encounter as an “ambush,” Luciano said the Armed Robbery had ended as Goodman and his girlfriend were “retreating back up the steps” into their apartment – when Danron Morrisey fired the fatal shot.
Goodman’s mother, donning a jacket she said once belonged to her son, read a statement into the record during yesterday’s hearing, as did Goodman’s brother, and Rajfer read a statement from Goodman’s father on his behalf.
The courtroom gallery was filled to near-capacity by the victim’s friends and loved ones.
“Every day, they miss their brother, their son, their father,” Rajfer said, gesturing in their direction.
“Today is not going to erase their pain, but the people who caused their pain are being held accountable.”
Judge Lemieux noted that a combination of video surveillance footage pulled from two locations (including the site of the shooting), as well as phone records, physical evidence, and witness testimony led to the jury returning guilty verdicts.
Judge Lemieux explained that Marcus Morrissey received the longer of the two sentences, as he initiated the robbery, and due to his significant and lengthy criminal history.
“This was a particularly intricate investigation and prosecution, and I commend the dedicated members of our office and our partners in Neptune Township who persevered through a myriad of challenges to deliver the justice Mr. Goodman’s loved ones so richly deserved,” Prosecutor Santiago said.
“Gun violence will never be tolerated in Monmouth County, and this sentencing is fittingly reflective of our commitment to ensuring that it is routinely met with the fiercest of consequences.”