In the early morning hours of August 18, 2021, the sound of gunshots shattered the quiet on Clyde Potts Drive in Morristown, New Jersey. First responders, arriving at a parking lot in the Manahan Village public housing complex shortly after 1 a.m., discovered the body of 35-year-old Raijah Scott. An autopsy would later confirm that the male Cedar Knolls resident had died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide. Scott was described by an acquaintance as a 'harmless, a joking guy,' and on his own social media, he called himself a 'charasmatic extrovert.' He had previously worked at local establishments like ROOTS Steakhouse and ShopRite.
The investigation into Scott's death quickly pointed to Tyrell Lansing, a 27-year-old from Morristown, who was identified as an acquaintance of the victim. Authorities determined that Lansing had shot Scott multiple times at close range before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.
A swift, multi-agency manhunt was launched, involving law enforcement from the Morristown Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff's Office, and New Jersey State Police. The search for Lansing crossed state lines, culminating in his arrest just a day later, on August 19, 2021. He was apprehended by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol near Tulsa while traveling through the state.
Following his capture, Tyrell Lansing was charged with first-degree murder, along with several weapons offenses. He was held in Oklahoma pending extradition to New Jersey to face the charges. Another man, DeQuan McDaniel, was with Lansing in Oklahoma and was arrested and charged with hindering the apprehension of another. A third individual, Myles Dacres, later pleaded guilty to providing a false alibi for Lansing. The legal proceedings for Lansing were prolonged due to various legal motions. Initially, Lansing rejected a plea offer of 30 years without parole. However, in October 2025, as his murder trial was about to begin, Lansing accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
