Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office

25 Kirkpatrick Street, 3^rd Floor, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901 (732) 745-3300

*News Release* Date: September 24, 2009

New Brunswick man pleads guilty during trial

Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan announced today that a New Brunswick man cut short his trial and pleaded guilty to a charge of fatally shooting a 20-year-old Highland Park man.

Terrance Parker, (DOB 5/13/82) of New Brunswick, pleaded guilty on September 23, 2009, to a count of aggravated manslaughter, admitting he shot and killed Erin Williams, 20, of Highland Park, during a dispute on October 22, 2006.

Parker, who was being tried on charges including murder, offered to plead guilty as Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Julie Davidson was presenting evidence and testimony against the defendant.

Under the terms of a plea agreement, Parker faces 25 years in a New Jersey state prison, and must serve at least 85 percent of the term before he can become eligible for parole.

The victim’s family, who sought closure for their loss, approved the plea agreement prior to it being brought before the court.

Parker is scheduled to be sentenced by Superior Court Judge Barbara Clark Stolte at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick on December 4, 2009.

During an investigation by Detective John Selesky, of the New Brunswick Police Department, and Investigator Eleazar Ricardo, of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, it was determined that Parker and Williams had an on-going dispute that culminated with the shooting, which occurred at 2:37 a.m. in the parking lot of a rental hall, known locally as the ‘’Domino Club,’’ on Delavan Street in New Brunswick.

Parker asked somebody in a crowd for a gun, and, after he obtained it, began firing at Williams, who tried to run away.

The victim was wounded and fell to the ground. Parker stood over the fallen man and fired a final shot.

Williams, who suffered four gunshot wounds to the back, was pronounced dead at 3:08 a.m. at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

Parker also pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge of aggravated assault, admitting he spit at a corrections officer while in custody awaiting trial on the homicide.

In addition, the defendant pleaded guilty to violating probation, admitting he committed the fatal shooting while serving a probationary term for resisting arrest and unlawful possession of a weapon.