LAKEWOOD – A township resident has admitted to killing a man by shooting him multiple times in the chest.
Jahvontae Debose, 26, pled guilty to Manslaughter as well as being a Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon, Possession of a Firearm in the Course of Committing a Drug Offense, and Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute.
On February 21, 2021, Lakewood Township Police responded to a 911 call about a man who had collapsed in the middle of the road on Tudor Court. The victim was identified as Dajour Randolph, 20, of Little Egg Harbor, and was found with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest.
Randolph was quickly transported to Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, in Lakewood where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. The post-mortem examination determined the cause of Randolph’s death to be multiple gunshot wounds.
Two days later, Debose was pulled over for a motor vehicle stop in Pleasantville which resulted in him being arrested. He was initially charged with weapons and narcotics offenses.
On February 25, 2021, authorities determined that Debose was the suspect responsible for Randolph’s death and subsequently was charged with Murder.
At the time of his sentencing on May 22, the State will be recommending a term of seven years New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) as to the Manslaughter charge – subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act. Additionally, the State will recommend a term of seven years NJSP with a five-year period of parole ineligibility as to the charge of being a Certain Person not to Possess a Weapon, and seven years NJSP with a 42-month period of parole ineligibility as to the charge of Possessing a Firearm in the Course of Committing a Drug Offense. These sentences are to run concurrently. Finally, the State will be recommending a term of seven years NJSP as to the Possession of Marijuana with Intent to distribute charge. This sentence is to run consecutively.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledged the efforts of Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Kristin Pressman and Assistant Prosecutor Victoria Veni who are handling the case on behalf of the State, and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crimes Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, Lakewood Police, Lakewood Police Detective Bureau, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center, Brick Police, Manchester Police, Toms River Police, Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Pleasantville Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service, for their combined and collective efforts in connection with this investigation resulting in Debose’s apprehension, guilty pleas, and soon his state prison sentence.
