Grand Jury Indicts Two Long Branch Men On Murder Charge

LONG BRANCH, NJ - A grand jury has returned an indictment against two men in connection with a 2009 cold case murder, announced Monmouth County Acting Prosecutor Lori Linskey on Monday.

Christopher Willis, 31, and Jamere Williams, 30, both of Long Branch, were indicted on one count of first-degree murder in the death of Norberto Nieves.

On Nov. 29, 2009, Nieves, 36, of Long Branch, was shot and killed, and an initial investigation was done by the Long Branch Police Department, which did not yield any arrests. Additional evidence originally recovered from the crime scene was compared to other evidence obtained during the cold case investigation, resulting in charges against the defendants.

Willis, who was charged with one count of first-degree murder in Nieves’ death back on April 22, is currently incarcerated in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution. Williams is also incarcerated, pending a detention hearing to be scheduled later this week in Superior Court.

If convicted, Willis and Williams each face 30 years to life in a New Jersey state prison, subject to the provisions of the "No Early Release Act" (NERA) requiring 85 percent of the sentence imposed to be served before becoming eligible for release on parole. Both men would also be under parole supervision for five years following any release from state prison.

The case is being investigated by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Long Branch Police Department. Anyone with information about this case is urged to call Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Detective Wayne Raynor at (800) 533-7443 or Long Branch Police Department Detective Todd Coleman at (732) 222-1000.