Crime & Justice

Fourth Man Arrested in Jonelle Melton’s Murder

A fourth man has been arrested in connection to the murder of New Jersey middle school teacher Jonelle Melton

Published

10 years ago

January 17, 2016

UVM Staff

Jonelle Melton

Table of Contents

A fourth man has been arrested in connection to the murder of New Jersey middle school teacher Jonelle Melton. But authorities say they are still chasing leads into the case.

Jonelle Melton’s murder arrest

Jerry J. Spraulding, 38, of Keansburg is facing several charges including first-degree felony murder in Melton’s death, acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni. A felony murder charge applies when a victim is killed in the commission of another crime.

In November, three were arrested in connection to Melton’s murder. James Fair, 27, Ebenezer Byrd, 35, and Gregory Jean-Baptiste, 26, all of Asbury Park, who are each facing similar charges in connection with the Sept. 14, 2009 death.

Spraulding is currently serving an eight-year sentence in Northern State Prison after he was convicted last year on two counts of third-degree distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, the prosecutor’s office announced.

His bail for the new charges was set at $1.5 million.

Teacher killed

Melton, a 33-year-old veteran school teacher at Red Bank Middle School, was killed inside her Neptune City apartment, the prosecutor’s office said.

Neptune City Police Department received a 911 call around 9:07 a.m. on Sept. 14, 2009, reporting to the discovery of unresponsive woman in an apartment in the Brighton Arms complex, 311 West Sylvania Ave. Officers arrived on scene and found Melton; Monmouth Ocean Hospital Services Corporation paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and pronounced her deceased, the prosecutor’s office said.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the investigation has continued for six years, and was one of the first cases to utilize the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line and reward program.

It said the four men charged “planned to burglarize a specific apartment in the Brighton Arms complex. However, the men broke into the wrong apartment and encountered the victim.”

“At some point after realizing they were in the wrong apartment, the men brutally murdered Melton,” the prosecutor’s office said.

Information into Jonelle Melton’s murder

Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the investigation to contact Detective Scott Samis of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 1-800-533-7443 or Detective Lieutenant Matt Quagliato of the Neptune City Police Department at 732-775-1615.

Information can also be given anonymously to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-671-4400, by texting “MONMOUTH” plus a tip to 274637; or via monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com.

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Related Topics:homicide Jonelle Melton Monmouth County Neptune Township NJ Red Bank

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Unheard Voices, an award-winning, family-operated online news magazine, began in 2004 as a community newsletter serving Neptune, Asbury Park, and Long Branch, N.J. Over time, it grew into a nationally recognized Black-owned media outlet. The publication remains one of the few dedicated to covering social justice issues. Its honors include the NAACP Unsung Hero Award and multiple media innovator awards for excellence in social justice reporting and communications.