Newark, N.J. – Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II announced today that Ahigjah Broomes, 29, of Orange, was sentenced to 55 years in New Jersey State Prison for the 2018 murder of his former girlfriend on a Montclair Street.
On March 23, 2026, a jury found Broomes guilty of first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
The Honorable Marysol Rosero, J.S.C. presided over both the trial and the sentencing.
The prosecution proved that in the early morning hours of April 27, 2018, Broomes stalked Akirah Townes, 20, also of Orange, and ultimately killed her, four months after she ended their relationship.
Townes, a student at Kean University, was with a group of friends on Bloomfield Avenue preparing to leave for a trip to Virginia Beach. Broomes approached Townes armed with a knife and stabbed her multiple times. Townes attempted to escape, while her friends tried to intervene. Broomes then fled the scene.
Townes was transported to St. Joseph’s Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.
Following the sentencing, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Simonetti, who tried the case along with Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Laprade, said “Akirah Townes, a young Kean University student with her whole life ahead of her, was taken from her family and friends far too soon. Our office will continue to seek justice for victims of domestic violence and prosecute those who commit these offenses. Although this sentence cannot bring Akirah back or heal the pain suffered by her loved ones, we are grateful that justice was served.”
Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, Broomes must serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Anyone with information related to criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Tips Line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432. All calls will remain confidential.
AHIGJAH BROOMES
