Conviction Upheld in Lakewood Teen's Execution-Style Murder

The conviction of a Lakewood man serving a 40 year prison term in the 2009 execution-style slaying of a 17-year-old fellow township resident was upheld by the New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Court on Tuesday.

Jamil N. Parson, 31, of Lakewood, who known on the street as "Animal," was convicted after admitting guilt in the murder as his trial was about to begin Sept. 13, 2011. In Nov. 2011, Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels sentenced Parson to 40 years in state prison without the possibility of parole until 85 percent of his sentence was served. Since then, Parson had been held at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton.

The issue before that court, according to Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, was the confession Parson gave during police interviews conducted by then Detective Carlos Trujillo-Tovar of the prosecutor's office's Major Crimes Unit and Detective Jason Pederson of the Lakewood Township Police Department.

The Appellate court ruled Tuesday that there was no Miranda violation of the defendant.

Parson previously admitted to shooting 17-year-old Luis Enrique Garcia in the head in order to settle a dispute between the pair on Dec. 3, 2009. Garcia's 16-year-old cousin was wounded during the incident.

Parson was indicted on the murder charge and two co-defendants, Rahim Loyal, 32, of Newark, NJ and Razear Muldrow, 28, of Lakewood, were charged with conspiracy to commit murder, first degree murder, attempted murder, plus assault and weapons charges. Loyal and Muldrow ultimately pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and both received 17 year sentences to be served in state prison.

Loyal is presently serving his sentence in East Jersey State Prison and Muldrow is in South Wood State Prison. Neither man will be eligible for parole until 2024, Della Fave said.