In the winter of 2022, a life was tragically cut short on a street in Rahway, New Jersey. Jack Harris, a 44-year-old Black male from the neighboring town of Roselle, found his journey ending abruptly on the afternoon of November 12th. Around 12:40 p.m., the sound of gunfire echoed through the 1400 block of Witherspoon Street. When police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Harris suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite any efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead right there on the pavement.
The investigation into the brazen daytime shooting was swift and involved a collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies. The Union County Homicide Task Force, alongside the Rahway Police Department and other county units, quickly zeroed in on a person of interest. Their investigation led them to identify Brandan Melford, a 31-year-old resident of Rahway, as the primary suspect in the killing of Jack Harris. Just two days after the fatal shooting, on the evening of November 14, authorities located and arrested Melford in Newark.
Following his apprehension, Brandan Melford was charged with first-degree murder and two weapons-related offenses. The case moved through the legal system, and in June 2025, Melford, then 34, pleaded guilty to a downgraded charge of aggravated manslaughter. On September 5, 2025, a Union County Superior Court Judge sentenced him to 25 years in state prison for the killing. The terms of his sentence mandate that he must serve over 21 years before becoming eligible for parole.
