A fourth man has been arrested in connection to the murder of New Jersey middle school teacher Jonelle Melton. But authorities say they are still chasing leads into the case.
Jerry J. Spraulding, 38, of Keansburg is facing several charges including first-degree felony murder in Melton’s death, acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni. A felony murder charge applies when a victim is killed in the commission of another crime.
Jerry J. Spaulding, Monmouth County Corrections
In November, three were arrested in connection to Melton’s murder. James Fair, 27, Ebenezer Byrd, 35, and Gregory Jean-Baptiste, 26, all of Asbury Park, who are each facing similar charges in connection with the Sept. 14, 2009 death.
Spraulding is currently serving an eight-year sentence in Northern State Prison after he was convicted last year on two counts of third-degree distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, the prosecutor’s office announced.
His bail for the new charges was set at $1.5 million.
Jonelle Melton, a 33-year-old veteran school teacher at Red Bank Middle School, was killed inside her Neptune City apartment, the prosecutor’s office said.
Neptune City Police Department received a 911 call around 9:07 a.m. on Sept. 14, 2009, reporting to the discovery of unresponsive woman in an apartment in the Brighton Arms complex, 311 West Sylvania Ave. Officers arrived on scene and found Jonelle Melton; Monmouth Ocean Hospital Services Corporation paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and pronounced her deceased, the prosecutor’s office said.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the investigation has continued for six years, and was one of the first cases to utilize the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line and reward program.
It said the four men charged “planned to burglarize a specific apartment in the Brighton Arms complex. However, the men broke into the wrong apartment and encountered the victim.”
“At some point after realizing they were in the wrong apartment, the men brutally murdered Melton,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the investigation to contact Detective Scott Samis of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 1-800-533-7443 or Detective Lieutenant Matt Quagliato of the Neptune City Police Department at 732-775-1615.
Information can also be given anonymously to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-671-4400, by texting “MONMOUTH” plus a tip to 274637; or via monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com.
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