New Jersey man pleads guilty to shooting man and leaving him for dead in Lakewood

⚖️ Lakewood man pleads guilty to Manslaughter in death of Little Egg Harbor resident

⚖️ He was charged in connection to a 2021 shooting

⚖️ It had the appearance of a drug deal turned fatally tragic

A Lakewood man has pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in connection the February 2021 shooting death of a Little Egg Harbor resident.

Jahvontae Debose, 26, was found to have shot Dajour Randolph, 20, of Little Egg Harbor in the chest in the middle of Tudor Court leading to a police response around 7:40 pm, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer.

Randolph was brought to Monmouth Medical Southern Campus in Lakewood where he passed away a short time later.

The Ocean County Medical Examiner later ruled the death a homicide due to multiple gunshot wounds.

An investigation run by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department, Lakewood Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit identified Debose as the suspect allegedly responsible for the shooting.

He was arrested two days after the shooting on February 23, 2021 by OCPO Narcotics Strike Force Detectives in Pleasantville during a motor vehicle stop and charged, initially, with Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, Possession of a Firearm in the Course of Committing a Drug Offense, and being a Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon.

He was later charged with his connection to the shooting death.

In addition to the guilty plea to Manslaughter, Debose also did so on charges of being a Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon, Possession of a Firearm in the Course of Committing a Drug Offense, and Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute.

Prosecutor Billhimer said that when Debose is sentenced on May 22, the State will be recommending a term of seven years in prison on the Manslaughter charge and seven years with a five-year period of parole ineligibility for the charge of being a Certain Person not to Possess a Weapon, and seven years with a 42-month period of parole ineligibility on the charge of Possessing a Firearm in the Course of Committing a Drug Offense, and  seven years on the Possession of Marijuana with Intent to distribute charge.

He added that the sentences of Debose will run consecutively.

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Prosecutor Billhimer said that Ocean County Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Kristin Pressman and Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Victoria Veniare handling the case on behalf of the State.