Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that an Essex County jury convicted Maurice Mosley, 22, of Newark of murdering 29-year-old Douglas Brown, also of Newark.
On July 16, 2011 Mosley approached a van in the vicinity of Orange and Gray Streets in Newark in which two women and Brown were occupants. Mosley ordered them out of the car and robbed them. He then shot at them. The two woman escaped injury but Brown sustained fatal injuries. He died a few hours later at University Hospital in Newark.
Following a six-day trial before Honorable Verna G. Leath, J.S.C., the jury deliberated for one day before convicting Mosley on all nine counts – one count of murder, one count of felony murder, two counts of attempted murder, three counts of robbery and two weapons offenses.
The case was tried by Assistant Prosecutor Jessica Guarducci and Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Fetterman.
The case was particularly significant because it was the first homicide in Essex County where the judge instructed the jury on the New Jersey Supreme Court’s newly adopted rules regarding eyewitness identification. The rules, which took effect in September, require judges to tell jurors before they begin deliberating that the reliability of eyewitness identification can be diminished because of the passage of time, stress, poor lighting and other factors, including when the person making the identification is of a different race of the suspect.
Even with the more stringent rules, Assistant Prosecutor Guarducci said, “In this case the jury was convinced based on good old fashion police work and two solid eyewitness identifications.’’
Sentencing before Judge Leath is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2013. Mosley faces 30 years to life.
Following the verdict, Mosley’s $500,000 bail was revoked by Judge Leath.
Prosecutor Murray commended Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Detective John J. Cosgrove and Newark Police Detective Pablo Gonzalez for their work on this case.
