Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that an Essex County jury convicted Ahmad Taylor, 21, of Newark of passion/provocation manslaughter for killing a Newark man in a dispute over Nicki Minaj CDs.
On Jan. 16, 2011 Amir McLean, 19, of Newark was fatally shot when he and Taylor got into an argument over Nicki Minaj CDs. McLean was arguing with his girlfriend and tossed seven CDs out the window into the snow. Taylor, who was at the house and wanted to hear the CDs, told McLean to go outside and get them. McLean’s girlfriend is Taylor’s aunt. When McLean refused to retrieve the CDs, Taylor pulled out a gun and shot McLean multiple times, killing him.
During a two week trial before the Honorable Thomas Moore, J.S.C, Assistant Prosecutor Paul Bradley, who presented the case along with Assistant Prosecutor Ahmad Rasool, argued for a murder conviction but the jury convicted Taylor of the lesser crime of passion/provocation manslaughter.
Murder carries a mandatory minimum 30-year sentence. The maximum penalty for passion / provocation manslaughter is 10 years.
When Taylor is sentenced on March 16, prosecutors will argue for the maximum penalty plus five years for the gun offense because of Taylor’s prior violent record as a juvenile. Two weeks before the homicide, Taylor had been paroled from prison.
