In the early morning hours of a Sunday in June, the quiet streets of Burlington's New Yorkshire section were shattered by the sound of gunfire. Responding to a report of shots fired just after 5:30 a.m. at the intersection of Earl and Clarkson streets, City of Burlington Police Department officers made a grim discovery. On the ground lay a man, later identified as 38-year-old Derrick Adams, a resident of the city. He had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy would later confirm that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, ruling his death a homicide.
The initial investigation into the death of the male victim yielded no immediate arrests, prompting law enforcement to seek the public's help for any information regarding the shooting or the moments leading up to it. The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office and the City of Burlington Police Department, with assistance from the Willingboro Township Police Department, worked to piece together the events that led to the fatal encounter.
Two months after the shooting, a significant breakthrough was made in the case. Authorities announced the arrest of 33-year-old James H. McDowell Jr., of Beverly, in connection with the killing. McDowell was taken into custody in Roanoke, Virginia, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was charged with first-degree murder and several weapons offenses.
