LACEY – A Township man has pled guilty to killing a woman after she overdosed on drugs he supplied, officials said.
Jehmar Barrett, 36, of Lacey, pled guilty to Manslaughter in connection with the death of a 35-year-old female in Toms River on November 24, 2020. At the time of his sentencing on August 18, the State will be seeking a term of seven years New Jersey State Prison. His term would be subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act, which means he’d have to serve 85% of it before being eligible for parole.
The woman was found dead in an Alabama Avenue home, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. It was later determined that that Barrett distributed heroin and cocaine to the victim the day before her death.
A toxicology analysis confirmed the presence of fentanyl in the victim’s system, officials said. The drugs given to the victim by Barrett, initially believed to be heroin, was, in fact, fentanyl, matching the fentanyl found in the victim’s system.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledged the efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke who is handling the case on behalf of the State, and commended the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, Toms River Police Department Detective Bureau, Toms River Special Enforcement Team, Toms River Patrol Division, Berkeley Police Department, Lacey Police Department, Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation leading to Barrett’s guilty plea, and soon his state prison sentence.
