In the early morning hours of March 7, 2021, the life of 19-year-old Malikah Taylor was tragically cut short in a residence in Union, New Jersey. Responding to a call, members of the Union Police Department arrived at a home on the 2100 block of Melrose Parkway to find Taylor unresponsive, having sustained serious injuries from several gunshot wounds.
She was rushed to University Hospital in Newark, but despite medical efforts, she was pronounced dead shortly before 8 a.m.
The investigation into the shooting was swift, led by the Union County Homicide Task Force with assistance from various local and state law enforcement agencies. Authorities quickly identified her 20-year-old boyfriend, Jamar I. Webber, as the suspect in the fatal shooting. A search for Webber was initiated, and he was considered armed and dangerous. The day after the shooting, on March 8, Webber turned himself in to the Newark Police Department without incident. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and two related weapons offenses.
Following his arrest, Jamar I. Webber was held in the Union County Jail. In a subsequent court appearance, he pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder in the death of Malikah Taylor. As a result of his guilty plea, he faced a sentence of up to 30 years in state prison. The resolution of the case brought a measure of closure to the loved ones of Malikah Taylor, whose life was violently ended in an act of domestic violence.
