Morris Prosecutor: Jefferson Man Indicted for Fatal July Shooting

Published on December 31, 2019

Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker, and Jefferson Police Chief Sean Conrad announce that John Formisano, 49, of Jefferson, has been indicted on charges related to a fatal shooting that occurred on July 14, 2019, in Jefferson.(, 0B)

On Monday (Dec. 30), an indictment was returned by a Morris County grand jury charging Formisano with Murder, Attempted Murder, two counts of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Official Misconduct, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution.

The charges in the indictment are related to an incident that occurred on July 14 in Jefferson. At 11:21 p.m., Jefferson police were dispatched to 1 Mirror Place in response to a 911 call that shots were fired.

Upon arrival, responding officers located a woman's body lying on the front porch steps of 5 Mirror Place. The deceased woman was subsequently identified as Christie Formisano, 37, of Jefferson. A second victim, a 40-year-old male, was located with multiple gunshot wounds inside the residence of 1 Mirror Place.

At approximately 2 a.m., the defendant, John Formisano, was located in a parking lot in Livingston and was taken into custody by law enforcement. The firearm believed to be used by the defendant was recovered in Livingston. The defendant, a lieutenant with the Newark Police Department, was off-duty at the time of the incident.

If anyone has any information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to call the Major Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office at 973-285-6200, or the Jefferson Township Police Department at 973-697-1300.

Inquiries can be directed to Morris County Prosecutor's Office Public Information Officer Meghan Knab at 973-829-8159 or mknab@co.morris.nj.us.