4th defendant pleads guilty in schoolyard murders


The Associated Press
Posted: 3:51 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23, 2011
Updated: 4:52 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23, 2011

NEWARK, N.J. —

A fourth defendant in one of New Jersey's most notorious murder cases pleaded guilty Friday to taking part in the attack but not causing the deaths of the three victims.

Shahid Baskerville was one of six men and boys charged in the execution-style slayings of three college friends in a Newark schoolyard in 2007. A fourth victim was shot, stabbed and sexually assaulted but survived.

Appearing in state Superior Court, Baskerville pleaded guilty to robbery, conspiracy and aggravated sexual contact in exchange for having murder and felony murder charges dropped. He will serve at least 85 percent of a 30-year prison sentence.

Baskerville, who has been in custody since shortly after the murders occurred, was 15 when Dashon Harvey, Iofemi Hightower and Terrance "T.J." Aeriel were killed. The Associated Press isn't identifying the fourth victim because of the sexual assault charges. All four were enrolled or about to enroll at Delaware State University.

The brutal murders — at least two victims were slashed with a machete before three were lined up against a wall and shot — stunned Newark, a city already plagued by gun violence. The public outcry led to the fast-tracking of several anti-crime measures, including surveillance cameras on city streets.

Two of the defendants have already been convicted of murder, and a third pleaded guilty last year. All are serving consecutive life sentences.

Baskerville is expected to testify against Jose Carranza, an illegal immigrant from Peru whom other defendants have said wielded the machete during the attack. Carranza's trial is scheduled to begin next month.

http://www.krmg.com/ap/ap/crime/4th-...murders/nF8Xy/