In the spring of 2020, on the evening of April 6th, the life of 23-year-old Javone Smith, a male resident of Jersey City, New Jersey, was tragically cut short. Just before 6:30 p.m., the sound of gunfire erupted near the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Myrtle Avenue. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Smith suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
He was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center, but his injuries proved to be too severe, and he was pronounced dead at 6:49 p.m. The cause of death was later confirmed by the medical examiner to be the result of the multiple gunshot wounds he sustained.
The investigation into the shooting was handled by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit. Their efforts quickly led to a breakthrough in the case. Just over a week after the fatal shooting, on April 14, 2020, a suspect identified as Kenyowa Pinkney, a 27-year-old man also from Jersey City, turned himself in to the authorities. Pinkney was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in connection with Javone Smith's death.
The legal proceedings against Kenyowa Pinkney unfolded over the following two years. In a significant development on April 25, 2022, Pinkney, then 29 years old, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated manslaughter. This plea was part of an agreement with the prosecution. On July 1, 2022, a Hudson County Superior Court judge sentenced Kenyowa Pinkney to 25 years in New Jersey State Prison for his role in the killing of Javone Smith. The sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, which requires him to serve a substantial portion of his term before becoming eligible for parole.
