Bias-Driven Murder Verdict In Attack On Freehold Photographer

FREEHOLD, NJ – A Monmouth County jury has returned guilty verdicts on the most serious charges against the man who attacked and killed a stranger to him - Jerry Wolkowitz of Freehold Township - four and a half years ago, solely because of the victim’s race.

According to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, Jamil Hubbard, 30, of Sayreville was convicted of first-degree murder, first-degree bias intimidation, second-degree eluding, third-degree theft from the person, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree motor vehicle theft, all in connection with the death of 56-year-old Wolkowitz.

The verdict comes after an approximately seven-week trial before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Lourdes Lucas.

Prosecutors presented evidence at trial refuting an attempted insanity defense, showing that Hubbard’s conduct was intentional, knowing, and deliberate. Hubbard’s prosecution was handled by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Hoda Soliman and Keri Schaefer.

“This was the textbook definition of a senseless crime, and as our prosecuting team astutely noted in their closing argument, ‘senseless’ does not mean ‘insane,’” Santiago said.

“Mr. Wolkowitz was an innocent victim, minding his own business and on his way home from work, when his life was snuffed out over something as trivial as the color of his skin. Such a monstrous act necessitates that justice be served, and we sincerely thank the jury in this case for carefully weighing the evidence and reaching the appropriate conclusion,” he said.

Sentencing in the case is scheduled for March 31, 2023, at which time Hubbard will face a term of up to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the prosecutor's office said.

Wolkowitz was well-known and respected in the county. As a freelance photographer, he started working while in his 20s for the Asbury Park Press Freehold Bureau, also writing news articles. And he continued in his professional photography career.

He was a dedicated first aid volunteer, as a longtime member of the Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad.

A GoFundMe site set up at the time of the attack described him this way:

"Jerry is a reporter, a writer, a first aid volunteer, a dedicated worker, a wonderful friend, and a devoted family man with a loving fiance. Jerry loves cats and captures many special pictures of his precious Misu. Jerry spent his life dedicated to helping others and has touched so many lives as a volunteer for the Freehold First Aid Squad, a reporter for the Asbury Park Press and The News Transcript, a driver for SAS Ambulance, and so much more. He is kind-hearted, has a great sense of humor, and is always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need." This was written by Goldie Markowitz, who said Wolkowitz was "my dearest gentle soul, my better half, my twin brother."

After the May 1, 2018 attack, Wolkowitz remained hospitalized in a coma until he died six months later from his injuries on Oct. 18, 2018.

The prosecutor's office recounted the events of the attack:

At approximately 7:15 a.m. on the morning of Tuesday, May 1, 2018, members of the Freehold Township Police Department and other first responders were called to the Chesterfield Apartments on Harding Road on a report of a physical altercation involving a person struck by a vehicle.

At that location they found Wolkowitz in the apartment complex’s parking lot, having sustained severe injuries to his head, abdomen, and back. Wolkowitz was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for emergency treatment.

Missing from the parking lot was Wolkowitz’s vehicle, a Kia Forte, which Hubbard was later found to have stolen. Hubbard then led police on a pursuit, refusing to obey commands to pull over, until it was terminated due to high speeds and out of concern for public safety.

Minutes later, the Kia was found abandoned on Bordentown Avenue in Sayreville, and Hubbard was arrested by members of the Sayreville Police Department without incident at his home in the nearby Winding Wood Apartments.

An investigation involving numerous members of the MCPO Major Crimes Bureau, Freehold Township Police Department, and Sayreville Police Department later revealed that Hubbard was in the area that morning because he had slept in his vehicle overnight, having engaged in an argument with his ex-girlfriend, a resident of the apartment complex, the night before.

When he woke up, he told investigators, he spotted Wolkowitz walking nearby and decided to try to kill him because he was white, initially attacking him from behind with punches and kicks before stealing his wallet and car keys. He also told investigators he dragged the victim into the parking lot and ran him over.

A Monmouth County Grand Jury returned a seven-count indictment against Hubbard in March 2019.

Hubbard was represented at trial by attorneys Allison Friedman and Katherine M. Caola.