On a late Saturday evening in Newark, New Jersey, the life of 39-year-old Rahman K. Branch was tragically cut short. On April 27, 2019, at approximately 11 p.m., Branch was sitting in the passenger seat of a friend's car on the 300 block of South 9th Street when he was fatally shot. First responders found him unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds and rushed him to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the death of the Irvington man, who was a male, revealed that the incident was a robbery gone wrong. Two men approached the vehicle, and during the course of the robbery, one of the assailants shot Branch three times. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Task Force led the investigation into the violent encounter.
In a significant development, authorities arrested Rashad Zeigler, a 35-year-old from Newark, in connection with the murder.
An Essex County jury later convicted Zeigler on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, armed robbery, and felony murder. Prosecutors stated that while an accomplice was the one who fired the fatal shots, Zeigler played a crucial role in the crime by preventing Branch from escaping the vehicle during the robbery.
Following his conviction, Rashad Zeigler was sentenced to 45 years in New Jersey State Prison for his part in the death of Rahman K. Branch. According to court documents from March 2025, the second suspect, identified in testimony as 'Little Bro,' who is believed to be the shooter, had not been apprehended and remained unidentified. The investigation is still considered active and ongoing as authorities continue to seek justice for Branch and his family.
