Mount Arlington Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Murder of Neighbor
Published on May 22, 2013
Acting Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp announces that Danny Cole, 40 years of age of Mount Arlington, pled guilty today to First Degree Felony Murder, Second Degree Burglary and Fourth Degree Obstruction of a Governmental Function in connection with the February 2011 murder of a neighbor, Barbara Wilson age, 77, also of Mount Arlington.
On February 6, 2011, at approximately 1 p.m., officers with the Mt. Arlington Police Department found the body of Barbara Wilson inside her home at 421 Howard Boulevard in Mount Arlington, New Jersey. The victim was widowed and lived alone.
The victim suffered trauma to her head and face. She was wearing a nightgown. She was bound with duct tape around her ankles. Portions of her residence were in disarray. On or about February 6, 2011, an autopsy was conducted by Morris County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Carlos Fonseca. He certified the manner of death as homicide and the cause of death to be blunt force trauma. Dr. Fonseca opined that Barbara Wilson's time of death was somewhere between 12 and 24 hours before her body was found.
The discovery of the victim led to an investigation into her death. This investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies including the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit (MCU), the New Jersey State Police, the Morris County Park Police, Mt. Arlington Police Department, Roxbury Police Department and Morris County Sherifff's Office. Detective Thomas Laird of the MCU served as lead detective for the investigation.
DNA collected from the duct tape that was left at the crime scene, was matched to the defendant. During the investigation law enforcement officers matched a blue garbage pail lid in Ms. Wilson's home to a container found in the defendant's home along with at least two tote-like bins which were missing from the spare bedroom the victim was found in. On February 15, 2011 these bins were recovered in defendant's apartment along with a television set that was missing from the victim's master bedroom. The defendant was indicted on December 20, 2011.
Under the terms of the plea agreement the State will recommend that the defendant be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 40 years on his guilty plea to Felony Murder. The provisions of the No Early Release Act would be applicable. The defendant will concurrently be sentenced to 7 years on his guilty plea to Burglary. The State will also recommend a concurrent 18th month term of imprisonment on the guilty plea to Obstruction of Governmental Administration. The defendant faces exposure to 40 years in prison with a period of parole ineligibility of 34 years. Pursuant to law, the defendant will also be subject to period of parole supervision of 5 years at the conclusion of his sentence. At sentencing the State would dismiss the remaining charges.
Senior Trial Counsel John McNamara Jr. and Assistant Prosecutor Tracy Dannis represented the State in the plea agreement.
The Honorable Mary Gibbons Whipple presided over the plea. The defendant remains in the custody of the Morris County Correctional Facility pending sentencing, which is scheduled for July 12, 2013.
Acting Prosecutor Knapp thanks the New Jersey State Police, the Morris County Sheriff's Office, Police Chief Keith Licata and the Mt. Arlington Police Department, the Morris County Park Police, Chief James Simonetti and the Roxbury Police Department, Chief Kevin Craig and the Jefferson Police Department, the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, the Morris County Medical Examiner and the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit who assisted in the investigation and resolution of this matter.
Any inquiries can be directed to First Assistant Morris County Prosecutor/SDAG Thomas Zelante at 973-285-6252 or [email protected].