On a Tuesday afternoon in November 2018, the life of 18-year-old Thomas Reyes was cut short on a street in Camden, New Jersey. An aspiring barber known for his pleasant and polite nature, Thomas was found on the 1000 block of Carl Miller Boulevard with multiple gunshot wounds. The alert from a ShotSpotter device brought Camden County Police to the scene, and from there he was rushed to Cooper University Hospital. Despite the efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead that evening.
Reyes, a young Black/African American man, had moved with his family from Camden to Sicklerville years earlier and was remembered as a supportive and charming individual with great potential.
The investigation into the violent death of Thomas Reyes soon focused on two Camden residents, brothers Curtis Miller and Ryan Wilkins. The case against them was built on a foundation of modern detective work. Authorities tracked down surveillance footage that captured the duo fleeing the area in a vehicle shortly after the homicide. This footage also showed them discarding their clothing as they made their escape. A crucial piece of evidence came when the discarded clothing was recovered; a test on Curtis Miller's clothes revealed the presence of gunshot residue. Furthermore, cell phone records presented during the trial placed Miller in the area at the time the fatal shots were fired.
The diligent efforts of the Camden County Prosecutor's Office and the Camden County Police Department led to the arrest and prosecution of the two brothers. In February 2020, a jury found both Curtis Miller and Ryan Wilkins guilty on multiple counts, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Later that year, on October 29, 2020, they received their sentences. Ryan Wilkins, the driver, was sentenced to a 30-year prison term, which he must serve in its entirety without the possibility of parole. His brother, Curtis Miller, received a 55-year prison sentence and will have to serve a minimum of 43 years and three months before being considered for parole.
