By: Richard L. Smith
In a courtroom proceeding on September 22, Semaj T. Pittman, a 24-year-old resident of Willingboro, received a 25-year prison sentence for his involvement in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old woman three years ago within her Maple Shade apartment.
The sentencing presided over by the Hon. Christopher J. Garrenger, J.S.C., marks a significant development in this tragic case. Pittman had previously pleaded guilty to one count of Aggravated Manslaughter (first-degree). As part of his sentence, he must serve 85 percent of the term before becoming eligible for parole.
The somber tale began to unfold on the afternoon of February 23, 2020, when officers from the Maple Shade Police Department responded to a chilling call at The Arbors apartment complex on Lenola Road.
The report indicated a shooting incident within the premises.
Upon their swift arrival, they discovered two individuals, a man, and a woman, both suffering from gunshot wounds as they exited the elevator on the ground floor.
The victims were rushed to Cooper University Medical Center in Camden for immediate medical attention.
Tragically, 22-year-old Kayla Winkler, the woman involved, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Her boyfriend, Ramek Bass of Philadelphia, who was 24 at the time, was fortunate to survive but endured a gunshot wound to the shoulder.
The subsequent investigation unraveled a disturbing narrative: Pittman, along with a juvenile teenager, had entered the apartment with intentions of robbing Winkler and Bass, individuals they were acquainted with.
However, a horrifying turn of events transpired when Pittman brandished a firearm, firing upon the victims as they desperately attempted to flee the apartment.
The juvenile teenager, hailing from Evesham Township, had previously pleaded guilty to Murder (First Degree) in connection to this tragic incident, a development that had unfolded last year.
Assistant Prosecutor Bob Van Gilst, who supervises the BCPO Major Crimes Unit, led the prosecution against Semaj T. Pittman.
