Andrew Alston | Homicide Watch Trenton

Guilty confessions abound in Trenton Lyft rideshare murder case

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:08:49 -0500

Douglas Mathis saw the writing on the wall.

When several co-defendants pleaded guilty in the November 2016 murder of Lyft rideshare passenger Amber Dudley, Mathis realized his best course of action was to confess his role in the plot.

(From left) Douglas Mathis, Ronderrick Manuel, Andrew Alston, Kasey DeZolt and Dominique Richter

Mathis, 53, of Trenton, pleaded guilty last Friday to one count of second-degree robbery in a deal that calls for him to cooperate with the state and receive seven years of prison time subject to the No Early Release Act, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. His accomplice liability murder charges will be dismissed when he is sentenced later this year.

A grand jury handed up an indictment on April 12, 2017, charging Mathis and four co-defendants with murder in connection with the slaying of Dudley.

The 27-year-old Collingswood resident suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest as a rideshare passenger caught in the middle of a grisly robbery-turned-homicide plot.

Amber Dudley

Ronderrick Manuel, 44, of Trenton, admits he shot and killed Dudley and has pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in a deal that calls for him to cooperate with the state and serve 30 years of prison time, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

Co-defendant Andrew Alston, 40, of Trenton, pleaded guilty last month to first-degree robbery and weapons offenses in a deal that calls for him to cooperate with the state and serve 16 years behind bars, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Co-defendant Dominique Richter, 32, of Hamilton, who was originally facing a possible 30 years to life in prison on accomplice liability murder charges, pleaded guilty last year to third-degree conspiracy to commit theft. Richter has been released from jail on her own recognizance since Sept. 11, 2017, and must cooperate with the state in the case. Her plea deal calls for her to receive a five-year prison sentence, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The remaining co-defendant in the case is Kasey DeZolt, 33, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, who maintains her innocence but could potentially reach a plea bargain if she decides against taking her case to trial. The four co-defendants who’ve pleaded guilty in the case could potentially testify against DeZolt, and she faces 30 years to life imprisonment if convicted on her heaviest charges.

DeZolt remains jailed on $500,000 cash bail on accomplice liability murder and robbery charges. She is scheduled for a March 5 pretrial conference before Mercer County Superior Court Judge Darlene Pereksta and is represented by public defender Amber Forrester.

Richter admits she was involved in the conspiracy to lure a Lyft rideshare vehicle into the capital city for the purposes of promoting a theft scheme. Prosecutors say DeZolt also played a role in luring the occupants of the rideshare vehicle into Trenton.

On the evening of Nov. 30, 2016, a Lyft vehicle arrived in the area of Mechanics and East Trenton avenues and was confronted by Manuel, who attempted to rob a male passenger at gunpoint. Manuel’s weapon discharged during the confrontation, wounding Dudley with lethal injuries that eventually led to her death, prosecutors said.

Mathis admits he transported Manuel to the scene of the homicide. Alston admits to being armed and dangerous and playing a role in the robbery scheme that led to Dudley’s violent death.

The homicide victim’s younger sister, Brittney Dudley, said her family was “devastated by this loss” in a GoFundMe campaign. The family was lacking funds for Amber Dudley’s funeral and ended up raising $3,125 in a GoFundMe call for help, exceeding the initial $2,000 goal.

Several weeks after the slaying, police in December 2016 arrested Richter and DeZolt on accomplice liability murder charges. Police arrested Alston in January 2017; a regional U.S. Marshals task force arrested Manuel in March 2017; and Mathis got arrested April 10, 2017, according to court records.

Mathis, Alston and Manuel all remain jailed without bail on pretrial detention. Alston is represented by defense attorney Stephen Slaven and is scheduled to be sentenced March 9. Manuel is represented by defense attorney Mark G. Davis and is also scheduled to be sentenced on March 9 before Pereksta.

Richter is the only co-defendant in the case who has been freed from jail pending sentencing. She is represented by private defense attorney Raymond C. Staub and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 23, although her sentencing date could once again get postponed.

Mathis is represented by defense attorney Steven Lember, who had advised his client to take the plea deal once the guilty pleas of the other co-defendants started piling up.

Trenton Lyft rideshare killer admits to slaying Amber Dudley, 2 more co-defendants confess

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 19:20:41 -0500

(From left) Douglas Mathis, Ronderrick Manuel, Andrew Alston, Kasey DeZolt and Dominique Richter

Three of the five people charged in connection with the grisly November 2016 murder of Lyft rideshare passenger Amber Dudley have pleaded guilty.

The triggerman in the case, Ronderrick Manuel, 44, of Trenton, admits he shot and killed 27-year-old Dudley during a robbery in Trenton’s North Ward. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in a deal that calls for him to cooperate with the state and serve 30 years of prison time, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

Co-defendant Andrew Alston, 40, of Trenton, who was originally charged with accomplice liability murder, pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree robbery and weapons offenses in a deal that calls for him to cooperate with the state and serve 16 years behind bars, the prosecutor’s office confirmed Wednesday via email.

As previously reported first by The Trentonian, co-defendant Dominique Richter, 32, of Hamilton, who was originally facing a possible 30 years to life in prison on accomplice liability murder charges, pleaded guilty last year to third-degree conspiracy to commit theft. Richter has been released from jail on her own recognizance since Sept. 11, 2017, and must cooperate with the state in the case. Her plea deal calls for her to receive a five-year prison sentence, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The remaining defendants in the case are Kasey DeZolt, 33, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and Douglas Mathis, 53, of Trenton. Both of them are maintaining their innocence as of Wednesday but could potentially reach a plea bargain if they decide against taking their case to trial.

Mathis remains in jail on pretrial detention on accomplice liability murder charges and is also scheduled to appear for a March 5 pretrial conference before Pereksta. He is represented by defense attorney Steven Lember.

Dudley, a Collingswood resident, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest as a rideshare passenger caught in the middle of a grisly robbery-turned-homicide plot. Richter admits she was involved in the conspiracy to lure a Lyft rideshare vehicle into the capital city for the purposes of promoting a theft scheme. Prosecutors say DeZolt also played a role in luring the occupants of the rideshare vehicle into Trenton.

Amber Dudley

Mathis is accused of transporting Manuel to the scene of the homicide. Alston admits to being armed and dangerous and playing a role in the robbery scheme that led to Dudley’s violent death.

Several weeks after the slaying, police in December 2016 arrested Richter and DeZolt on accomplice liability murder charges. Police arrested Alston in January 2017; a regional U.S. Marshals task force arrested Manuel in March 2017; and Mathis got placed on pretrial detention not long after a grand jury handed up an indictment in April 2017 that charged all five co-defendants in connection with the shooting death of Dudley.

Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo negotiated the plea agreements with Richter, Alston and Manuel. The plea agreements require Richter, Alston and Manuel to cooperate with the state, which means they could potentially each be called to testify against DeZolt or Mathis if DeZolt or Mathis takes the case to trial.

Five indicted in Lyft murder of Amber Dudley

Scott Ketterer — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 14:50:41 -0400

Amber Dudley

Five people were indicted last week in the murder of 27-year-old Amber Dudley, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said on Wednesday.

Ronderrick Manuel, 43, of Trenton, who is the alleged triggerman in Dudley's killing was indicted on two counts of first degree felony murder, one count of first degree robbery, two counts of second degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and second degree unlawful possession of a weapon. Manuel had recently been arrested after it was alleged he burglarized a Ewing property, he was subsequently rearrested on the charges for which he has been indicted on.

Ronderrick Manuel

The other defendants — Andrew Alston,39; Kasey Dezolt, 32, of Morrisville, Pa.; and Dominique Richter, 31, of Hamilton were each indicted on one count of first-degree felony murder, one count of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

The fifth defendant, Douglas Mathis, 52, of Trenton was served his complaints while he was locked up in Camden on unrelated charges. Court documents related to Mathis' charges say he is accused of transporting co-defendant Manuel to the scene of the homicide.

Amber Dudley, of Collingswood was a passenger in a Silver Toyota Corolla that prosecutors say was lured into Trenton on November 30, 2016. During that time it was alleged that shortly after 7 p.m. in the area of Mechanics and East Trenton Avenue, Manuel got into the vehicle in an attempt to rob a male passenger. It is alleged that Manuel's gun was discharged and Dudley was wounded.

Kasey DeZolt (left) and Dominique Richter

The driver of the silver Toyota Corolla sped to the police station where officers and EMS personnel worked to save Dudley's life as Dudley lay spread out on the ground on the passenger side of the Corolla while it was parked outside of the headquarters building. It took about 20 minutes for them to stabilize her and place Dudley in an ambulance.

Dudley died at the hospital.

The case was presented the the Mercer County Grand Jury by Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo.

PROSECUTORS: Alleged gunman in fatal Lyft robbery was found with firearm during arrest

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 21:08:14 -0500

Andrew Alston

When police arrested Andrew Alston last week in connection with last November’s fatal Lyft robbery, the 39-year-old Trenton man was found in alleged possession of drugs and a handgun.

On Tuesday, Alston appeared in court and consented to the state’s request calling for him to be incarcerated indefinitely without bail at the county jail as he awaits trial on serious charges.

Alston, who has a long rap sheet of prior arrests, has been charged with being an accomplice to felony murder, robbery and weapons offenses in connection with the murder of Amber Dudley, 27, of Collingswood. Public defender Jessica Lyons has previously said her client Alston pleads not guilty on all complaints against him. Alston has also been charged with additional weapons offenses and multiple drug offenses stemming from his Jan. 24 arrest.

Court records identify Mercer County Sheriff’s Detective James Udijohn as the arresting officer. Udijohn last year earned accolades as the 2016 Sheriff’s Officer of the Year and in August 2015 was involved in a high-profile police-involved shooting that wounded a Trenton teenager.

When Mercer County Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw asked Alston how he was doing in court Tuesday afternoon, Alston responded, “I’m doing fine.”

Wearing a cream-colored jacket on top of his orange jumpsuit, Alston seemed eager to consent to indefinite pre-trial incarceration during Tuesday’s detention hearing.

“It’s a significant hearing,” Warshaw told Alston. “This has nothing to do with guilt or innocence. [This is about] deciding whether you are detained pending trial without bail.”

“If I waive all of that, I can just get on to the trial part?” Alston asked.

“The goal is to have the case tried within a year,” the judge responded.

Alston is the alleged gunman who fired a shot while robbing passengers of a Lyft rideshare service in Trenton on the night of Nov. 30, 2016. Co-defendants Kasey DeZolt, 32, and Dominique Richter, 31, were arrested last month as alleged accomplices to the murder of Dudley.

Kasey DeZolt (left) and Dominique Richter

Alston has previously served time behind bars on robbery, theft and drug charges, among other offenses.

Before police issued a warrant for Alston’s arrest in late December 2016, he gave a formal statement to police on Dec, 7, 2016, according to his public defender who has demanded “discovery” access to evidence against her client, including area video surveillance footage and phone records in the felony murder case.

New bail reform procedures in New Jersey have displaced monetary bails in favor of a risk-based-assessment system that allows freshly arrested defendants to be released from jail on their own recognizance or released on special conditions pending the outcome of the case. But defendants charged with serious offenses such as murder can be denied pre-trial release and remain detained indefinitely if a judge deems that appropriate.

A judge in certain cases can impose a monetary bail on newly arrested defendants, but the new reforms strongly discourage a judge from going in that direction.

Alleged gunman in fatal Lyft robbery pleads not guilty, Isiah Greene’s murder retrial lingers

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 18:20:14 -0500

Andrew Alston

The alleged gunman in last November’s fatal Lyft robbery has pleaded not guilty to all charges as the state made a motion Wednesday seeking to keep him locked up indefinitely.

Fresh after Tuesday’s high-profile arrest, 39-year-old Andrew Alston made his first appearance in court Wednesday via video conference and told a judge he understands the charges against him and understands his rights as a defendant.

Alston has been charged with being an accomplice to felony murder, robbery and weapons offenses in connection with the murder of Amber Dudley, 27, of Collingswood. Public defender Jessica Lyons said her client Alston entered a plea of not guilty on all complaints against him.

New bail reform procedures in New Jersey have abolished monetary bails in favor of a system that allows freshly arrested defendants to be released from jail with special conditions pending the outcome of the case. But defendants charged with serious offenses such as murder can be denied pre-trial release and remain detained indefinitely if a judge deems that appropriate.

With Alston being an alleged killer, Mercer County prosecutors on Wednesday made clear they want him to remain locked up in jail pending resolution of the case, which could drag on for months or years before it finally gets resolved with a conviction or acquittal.

As such, the prosecutors and public defender have agreed to have Alston appear in court next Tuesday for a detention hearing that would determine whether he would be released from custody pre-trial with special conditions or remain incarcerated indefinitely.

Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw is scheduled to oversee Alston’s detention hearing next Tuesday at the Mercer County Criminal Courthouse. If the judge determines Alston is a high flight risk or if the judge determines there is no condition of release that would safeguard the public from Alston, he would most certainly order the defendant to be detained indefinitely at the Mercer County Correction Center.

Alston’s public defender made a discovery request Wednesday seeking to obtain evidence that the state has against her client.

Isiah Greene

In other court action, a 12-member jury on Wednesday still could not reach a verdict in Isiah Greene’s murder retrial. Greene, 23, of Trenton, is accused of shooting and killing 24-year-old city man Quaadir “Ace” Gurley at the city’s Donnelly Homes housing complex in the early morning hours of July 21, 2013.

Isiah Greene

During deliberations Wednesday afternoon, the jury stepped into Superior Court Judge Anthony Massi’s courtroom for several minutes to listen to prior witness testimony in the case of an emergency medical technician, which the jurors requested.

The jury will continue with its fourth full day of deliberations Thursday morning behind closed doors at the criminal courthouse. Greene’s initial trial in October 2015 ended in a hung jury and his retrial may end in the same way at the rate things are going.

Alleged gunman in fatal Lyft robbery arrested

Penny Ray — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 12:27:27 -0500

Andrew Alston

A third suspect accused in the murder of Amber Dudley has been arrested.

Thirty-nine-year-old Andrew Alston, the alleged gunman who fired a shot while robbing passengers of a Lyft rideshare service in November, was arrested minutes after prosecutors sent media a release seeking the public's help in finding him.

Dudley, a 27-year-old from Collingswood, was one of three passengers in a car when a man armed with a handgun tried to enter the rear of the vehicle on Mechanics Avenue. Officials say the suspect tried to rob the occupants of the car, which sparked a struggle between he and the passengers. The driver then sped away and the gunman fired a shot.

Dudley and two of her friends were being driven by a man providing rides through Lyft. After Dudley was shot, the Lyft driver fled to TPD headquarters. It took about 20 minutes for law enforcement and EMS personnel to stabilize her before taking Dudley to the hospital, where she later died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Kasey DeZolt (left) and Dominique Richter

At previous bail hearings for two other defendants in the case, prosecutors said 31-year-old Dominique Richter “implicated herself and others” in the Nov. 30 murder, and that she organized the robbery “by her own admission.”

Prosecutors also say phone records show that 32-year-old Kasey DeZolt lured a witness to Mechanics Avenue where a man tried to rob occupants of a car, resulting in Dudley’s death.

That gunman, prosecutors say, is Alston, who was arrested Tuesday afternoon. Alston is charged with being an accomplice to felony murder, robbery and weapons offenses. He has last known addresses of Perrine Avenue and Randall Avenue in Trenton.

Dezolt and Richter, whom are charged with the same offenses, remain in the Mercer County Correction Center.

Police and medics rush to save a woman who was driven to TPD headquarters after being shot in East Trenton. November 30, 2016 (Penny Ray - Trentonian)

Phone records show accomplice lured passengers to fatal Lyft robbery location: PROSECUTORS

Penny Ray — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 14:12:22 -0500

Kasey DeZolt (left) and Dominique Richter

As details regarding the death of Amber Dudley emerge, the case becomes more odd.

At a bail hearing Thursday, prosecutors said phone records show that 32-year-old Kasey DeZolt actually lured a witness to Mechanics Avenue where a man tried to rob occupants of a car, resulting in Dudley’s death.

Prosecutors previously said co-defendant Dominique Richter “implicated herself and others” in the Nov. 30 murder, and that she organized the robbery “by her own admission.”

Other than that, officials have remained tight-lipped as detectives continue to search for Andrew Alston, who prosecutors say pulled the trigger that fateful night and remains on the run.

Amber Dudley

Dudley and two of her friends were being driven by a man providing rides through Lyft, which is a peer-to-peer ridesharing service similar to Uber. After Dudley was shot, the Lyft driver fled to TPD headquarters. It took about 20 minutes for law enforcement and EMS personnel to stabilize her before taking Dudley to the hospital, where she later died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

At DeZolt’s bail hearing Thursday, prosecutors said a witness in the car with Dudley told police DeZolt lured them to that location on Mechanics Avenue. Prosecutors did not disclose the nature of the meeting, but Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo said text messages and phone call records confirmed a witness was in communication with DeZolt prior to the botched robbery.

DeZolt’s defense attorney didn’t proffer much information, but requested a bail reduction due to her client’s nonexistent criminal record.

A judge reduced DeZolt’s bail to $500,000 cash or bond, partly because she had no prior criminal history and partly because Richter’s bail was lowered to that amount by a different judge earlier this week.

DeZolt, of Morrisville, Pa., and 31-year-old Richter, of Hamilton, are both charged with accomplice liability felony murder, accomplice liability robbery, accomplice liability unlawful possession of a weapon and accomplice liability possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose.

At the bail hearing, defense attorney Amber Forrester said DeZolt was employed at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton “up until recently.”

Richter also lists Capital Health Regional Medical Center as her employer on Facebook.