Man Found Guilty of Murder for 2018 Homicide

Man Found Guilty of Murder for 2018 Homicide


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Caitlin Mota
PHONE: (201) 577-6699
EMAIL: cmota@hcpo.org
DATE: Friday, April 1, 2022

JURY FINDS DEFENDANT GUILTY OF MURDER FOR 2018 HOMICIDE IN JERSEY CITY

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has released the following information:

On Thursday, March 31, 2022, James Crawford, 24, of Jersey City, was convicted of Murder for his role in the shooting death of Eric Crocker, 23, of Bayonne, in Jersey City on September 4, 2018.

A jury convicted Crawford of Murder in violation N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1)(2), a crime of the first degree, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A 2C:39-4a(1), a crime of the second degree, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b(1), a crime of the second degree. The verdict was delivered before the Honorable Angelo Servidio, J.S.C., following a four week trial.

The jury was hung on the Conspiracy to Commit Murder charge against Crawford and could not reach a unanimous decision on the Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder charges brought against codefendant Alexander Harris, 33, of Jersey City. The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office intends to have Harris retried on the charges.

A third codefendant, Jahmir Thomas, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault on Friday, April 23, 2021. He is tentatively scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, April 4, 2022 before the Honorable Mitzy Galis-Menendez.

On Tuesday, September 4, 2018, at approximately 5:55 p.m., the Jersey City Police Department received a report of gunshots in the area of Lembeck Avenue and Ocean Avenue in Jersey City. Upon arrival, responding officers found a male victim, later identified as Eric Crocker, 23, of Bayonne, with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. He was pronounced dead at Jersey City Medical Center at approximately 6:30 p.m. The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office determined the Cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and the Manner of death to be Homicide.

The State was represented at trial by Hudson County Assistant Prosecutors David Feldman and Dennis Murray.