Regional Interest: Matlosz Killer Indicted in Another Murder

Nearly two years after Justin Williams was killed and his body left on a Lakewood street, three men have been indicted in connection with his murder, including the man convicted for the killing of Christopher Matlosz, a Lakewood police officer.

Jahmell W. Crockham, 21, who was sentenced in February to life in prison after he was convicted of murdering Matlosz, was indicted Thursday by an Ocean County grand jury on one count of first-degree murder, and second-degree counts of unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, in the shooting death of Williams.

In addition, Crockam and Calvin R. Presley of Jackson and Darius Jamal Johnson, 22, of Howell have been indicted on a count of conspiracy to hinder apprehension and tamper with physical evidence in the killing.

The indictment also notes a fourth unnamed person "whose identity is known to the grand jury, who is a named co-conspirator but not as a defendant herein" in relation to the conspiracy and tampering count.

The indictment cites "overt acts" by Johnson specifically as the basis for his indictment, alleging he and the unnamed co-conspirator drove the car in which Williams was killed from Jackson to Camden and finally Philadelphia, and then allegedly purchased lighter fluid that was used to set the car on fire.

Johnson also was indicted on a count of second-degree hindering apprehension, for allegedly preventing or obstructing, "by means of deception," detectives from the Lakewood police department and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office from an action that would have led to the discovery or apprehension of Crockam, the indictment states.

Johnson is being held in the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $2 million bail, no 10 percent option.

Bail information on Presley was not available at press time.

Crockam and Johnson were first charged in Williams' murder just days after Crockam was arrested in the murder of Matlosz, a Manchester resident who attended Howell High School, in January 2011.

At the time, Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford said information about Williams' murder came about during the investigation into the killing of Matlosz. "Our investigation revealed that on or about Oct. 15, 2010, Justin Williams accompanied Jahmell Crockam and Darius Johnson, during which time Justin Williams was shot and killed," Ford said.