Mercer County Prosecutors: Unsolved murder cases are not forgotten

Dating back to 1980, there are 175 unsolved Mercer County homicide cases.

In recent months, several relatives of murder victims have voiced frustration because their loved one’s case has not been solved. Grieving families want justice, and rightfully so. There’s a common misconception, though, in this grief and outrage that Trenton Police are solely responsible for investigating homicides that occur in the city. When, in fact, the Mercer County Homicide Task Force consists of detectives from several different law enforcement agencies.

“The homicide task force is a force multiplier for our police department,” Trenton Police Lt. Steven Varn said. “The amount of resources and manpower that the task force is able to provide to the city is much more than we could actually do on our own.” Read more

Trenton’s North Ward Councilwoman reflects on trying to turn around neighborhood, city

North Ward Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson in her Mill Hill home.

North Ward Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson in her Mill Hill home.

When North Ward Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson purchased her Mill Hill home in the 1980s, the neighborhood was infested with drug dealing.

“There were constant drug drops,” Caldwell-Wilson said about the 200 block of Jackson Street. “There were cars continually coming and going and there were parties all night long.”

She was born and raised in Scotland, but moved to New Jersey after marrying a man from Freehold. Caldwell-Wilson unintentionally found the property she would later call home while driving through Trenton. “I was drawn to it,” she said.

When she first bought the house, she had no knowledge of the parties and drug deals because she drove through during the day and most of the neighboring properties were vacant and boarded up. There were several families living in the 10-room home that Caldwell-Wilson purchased, so she helped each of them find another place to live. As she began restoring the property, she realized the true plight of the neighborhood.

“There were angel dust factories on this street,” the councilwoman said. Read more

2014: Trenton’s homicides by the numbers

The numbers in this story are pulled from Homicide Watch Trenton’s database, unless otherwise noted. For more information, use the sorting features of the victims and suspects databases, or explore the map.

In 2014, the city experienced 34 homicides, which includes the death of Darnell Stafford, who was justifiably shot and killed by police.

Although justifiable police shootings are reported to the FBI, they are not published as a homicide statistic by state police. Therefore, New Jersey State Police will report Trenton’s official homicide number as 33. The Trentonian, however, includes justifiable police shootings in its yearly homicide count. Read more

New Jersey Attorney General reflects on efforts to turn around Trenton’s crime problem

Less than two months after Acting Attorney General John Hoffman was appointed to the position, 52-year-old Barry Church was struck and killed by a stray bullet while sitting on his front porch.

The event led to the creation of a multi-faceted crime fighting initiative placing a significant number of state police officers on the city’s streets and enlisting the help of neighboring law enforcement agencies.

“I remember thinking how sad it is that the city is in a place where people can’t sit comfortably on their porch at the end of a summer day,” Hoffman said in a recent interview. “I got some people together to sit down in my office and we said, ‘This has to end; we have to do more than we’re doing right now.’” Read more

Trenton’s most interesting murders of 2014

No single person’s death is more important than another’s: each murder brings heartbreak and suffering to people who are still living.

The loss of any life — be it man, woman, elder or child — affects not only those who loved the deceased, but also Trenton as a whole. Several cases captured the city’s hearts and minds this year, for a variety of reasons. This is a short list of those that were most captivating. Read more