In the early hours of a cold Tuesday morning, on February 2, 2010, the lives of two cousins were tragically cut short on the streets of Jersey City. Lester 'Bleek' Thompson, a 26-year-old male, and his 17-year-old cousin, Mileak Richardson, were found sprawled face down on the sidewalk at the intersection of Woodlawn Avenue and Corcoran Street. Both men had been shot in the head in what authorities would later describe as a cold-blooded, execution-style double homicide.
The investigation
into the deaths of Thompson and Richardson quickly pointed to a violent robbery. Authorities stated that the cousins were lured to the location in a 'premeditated and planned' setup. The assailants robbed them of money, drugs, and a cell phone before ending their lives. The brazen nature of the crime sent shockwaves through the community, leaving residents fearful and demanding answers.
Within days, the investigation led to arrests. Jersey City police, in conjunction with the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit, apprehended two local men, 21-year-old Ronald 'Diddy' Lawrence and 21-year-old Hakeem 'Hak' Lester. Both were charged with two counts of felony murder and armed robbery. Later, a third suspect, 19-year-old Shiquan Bellamy, was also charged in connection with the murders of Thompson and Richardson as part of a wider investigation into a series of homicides. Bellamy, along with his co-defendants, faced charges for what prosecutors described as a two-month-long crime spree that included several other killings.
