30 years without parole for Burlington City murder

A Burlington City man agrees to serve 30 years, without parole, for a gunshot killing in the city last summer.

Samuel James, 27, accepted the terms as part of his guilty plea to one count of murder, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina. He remains in the Burlington County Jail, on bail of $1,000,000. Sentencing is scheduled for August 11.

Byron Turner, 24, also of Burlington City, was struck in the head by a bullet, and was pronounced dead three hours later at Cooper University Medical Center in Camden. James was arrested at a house in the Barrington, Camden County, two days later, by Burlington County Sheriff's officers and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Authorities said that James admitted firing several shots into a crowd on East Federal Street last August 20, and that Turner was not his intended target.

Assistant County Prosecutor Matt Lynch led the case and negotiated the plea agreement. Investigation of the case was led by Detective Brian Miller of the Burlington County Prosecutor's Major Crimes Unit, and Burlington City Detective Corporal Anna Czajka and Detective Jamie Lambing.