Zaire Gibbs | Homicide Watch Trenton

Self-confessed Trenton killer gets 17 for slaying Zaire Gibbs

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 17:32:01 -0400

A cold-blooded killer is going to state prison.

Seth Z. Bowers

Seth Bowers, 22, of Trenton, has been sentenced to 17 years of incarceration for shooting and killing 25-year-old Zaire Gibbs in the capital city last year.

Originally charged with murder and weapons offenses, Bowers pleaded guilty a few months ago to one count of first-degree aggravated manslaughter. He confessed to shooting Gibbs about 3:50 p.m. June 1, 2016, during an altercation on Washington Street in Trenton. The victim died 24 hours later at the hospital from his mortal wounds.

Known criminal

The self-confessed killer is well-known to law-enforcement. Trenton Police Detective Gregory Hollo arrested Bowers on Dec. 21, 2015, in connection with a robbery that occurred on that date. He eventually pleaded guilty to first-degree armed robbery.

Zaire Gibbs

Mercer County Superior Court Judge Thomas Brown on Wednesday sentenced Bowers to 17 years of incarceration for the homicide and 10 years of incarceration for the armed robbery. He will serve out the sentences concurrently and must serve at least 85 percent of his sentences behind bars and will be subjected to five years of parole supervision.

Trenton man who lost his shoe after a shooting indicted for murder

Penny Ray — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:46:16 -0500

Seth Z. Bowers

A city man was indicted last week in connection with the shooting death of Zaire Gibbs.

Seth Bowers, 22, is charged with murder and related weapons offenses in connection with the death of Gibbs, who was gunned down around 3:50 p.m. June 1 during an altercation on Washington Street.

Gibbs died from his injuries the following day while in the hospital.

Zaire Gibbs

After the shooting, authorities found a left-footed shoe on Washington Street that matched a right-footed Adidas sneaker discovered at Bowers’ Anderson Street home, not far from the crime scene.

In addition to the shoe, prosecutors said Bowers was identified by four witnesses as the shooter.

Bowers remains in the Mercer County Correction Center on $1 million cash only bail.

Sneakers, witnesses tie city man to Zaire Gibbs murder

Isaac Avilucea — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 10:06:43 -0400

All day a Mercer County inmate will be dreaming about his lost sneaker.

Prosecutors said at a bail hearing Thursday for suspected killer Seth Bowers, 21, that a left-footed Adidas sneaker ties him to the murder of Zaire Gibbs, a 25-year-old man who was gunned down last week in the city streets.

Authorities found the shoe on the first block of Washington Street on June 1 and matched it to a right-footed Adidas sneaker discovered at Bowers’ Anderson Street home, not far from the scene of the deadly dustup.

Seth Z. Bowers

Bowers turned himself into Trenton Police headquarters on unrelated warrants a day after the shooting. He was charged a day later with Gibbs’ murder.

Prosecutors did not say whether the two men had prior interactions before the murder, in which Bowers is accused of chasing down Gibbs and shooting him in the back.

Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Petrucci said the bullet entered Gibbs’ shoulder and traveled through his body to his lungs, a mortal blow from which he never recovered. He was pronounced dead at a hospital a day later.

In addition to the shoe, prosecutors said Bowers was identified by four witnesses as the shooter.

Petrucci was asked after the bail hearing whether the two men knew each other prior to the fatal encounter, and she responded the “easiest answer is no.”

Detectives who spoke on condition of anonymity said the men may have argued about drugs.

Bowers was out on $100,000 bail on a robbery charge at the time of the murder.

Bowers was supposed to show up June 2 at criminal court for a hearing in the robbery case. But he never turned up, and a warrant was issued for his arrest by Judge Pedro Jimenez.

Zaire Gibbs

A bail bondsman told the judge his company lost contact with Bowers after posting his bail in February. They tried contacting him and his co-signors by phone and letter but did not receive any response.

Jimenez ordered Bowers held without bail on the robbery charge and maintained bail at $1 million cash in the murder case.

Bowers was found delinquent as a minor of charges of burglary and obstruction, prosecutors said.

Last year, he was arrested after he claimed to be a cop, allegedly pistol-whipped a man with an airsoft gun and stole his wallet, necklace, cash and keys.

Bowers ditched the airsoft gun under a pickup truck during a foot chase with police. He was arrested at gunpoint.

His next court date is set for July 18.

Trenton man surrenders to police for unrelated reason, gets charged with murder of Zaire Gibbs

Penny Ray — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 15:37:00 -0400

Seth Z. Bowers

A city man has been charged in connection with the murder of Zaire Gibbs, who was shot last week during an altercation in the East Ward.

Seth Z. Bowers, 21, is charged with murder and related weapons offenses for allegedly shooting Gibbs while in the first block of Washington Street around 3:50 p.m. on June 1. Gibbs died in the hospital as a result of his injuries the following day.

Prosecutors say Gibbs and Bowers were arguing minutes prior to the shooting, and detectives who spoke on condition of anonymity say the argument may have regarded drugs.

Bowers voluntarily visited Trenton Police headquarters on North Clinton Avenue the day following the shooting after learning detectives wanted to speak with him. During that visit, he was arrested in connection with unrelated warrants. Then, on Friday evening, while being held in the Mercer County Correction Center, Bowers was charged with Gibbs’ murder.

Bail for the murder charge was set at $1 million cash.

Bowers is no stranger to law enforcement. In December last year, he allegedly beat a man with an airsoft gun after claiming to be a cop and stealing the victim’s property.

Officials say detectives were working as part of a robbery suppression task force near the intersection of Division and Charles streets when they saw a man who appeared to be in distress frantically pointing in the direction of a suspect, later identified as Bowers. Police say Bowers was quickly walking down the street, so the detectives pulled up next to him to investigate the matter.

As one detective stepped out of the patrol car, police say, Bowers ran, which sparked a foot chase. During the pursuit, Bowers allegedly tossed a black gun under a pickup truck and was then arrested at gunpoint. When police recovered the weapon, they realized it was an airsoft BB gun.

Police then spoke with the distressed victim who said he was walking on Charles Street when he was approached by three people, one of whom was Bowers. The victim said Bowers pulled out a gun, claimed to be a police officer, and then stole his wallet, necklace, cash and a key. Bowers then hit the man in the face with the weapon before walking away, according to police. The victim suffered visible injuries to the right side of his face, and an injury to his left knee, but refused medical attention.

When police searched Bowers, they found him in possession of the victim’s property.

Man shot in Trenton Wednesday afternoon dies in hospital

Penny Ray — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 16:28:04 -0400

Zaire Gibbs

The man who was shot Wednesday afternoon during what investigators believe was an argument regarding drugs has died from his injuries.

His death is the second homicide to occur in the capital city this week, and he is the ninth person to die by gunfire in Trenton this year, which is greater than the number of people who were murdered by this time in 2015.

Zaire Gibbs, 25, was shot around 3:50 p.m Wednesday while in the first block of Washington Street. He died at the hospital Thursday afternoon after having emergency surgery and being held overnight in the intensive care unit in extremely critical condition.

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said a bullet entered Gibbs' left shoulder and then traveled toward his heart, causing extensive bleeding.

Detectives believe Gibbs and the shooter were arguing about drugs prior to the incident, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the investigation. Sources also said the suspect fired at Gibbs while he was running away.

As of press time, no one has been arrested in connection with the killing.

So far this year, three people have been murdered in the West Ward, one person has been killed in the South Ward and five homicides have occurred in the East Ward, which includes the death of 38-year-old Elvin Grimsley, who was killed Wednesday evening in the Chambersburg section of the city a few hours after Gibbs was shot.

Anyone with information about the murders is asked to call police at 609-989-4155, or contact the Trenton Police confidential tip line at (609) 989-3663. Individuals may also call the Trenton Crime Stoppers tip line at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.