On the evening of September 4, 2018, events tragically unfolded for 23-year-old Eric Crocker, a male resident of Bayonne, New Jersey. At approximately 5:55 p.m., the Jersey City Police Department responded to reports of gunshots in the area of Lembeck Avenue and Ocean Avenue. Upon their arrival, officers discovered Crocker with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. He was transported to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office later determined the cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and the manner of death to be a homicide.
The investigation into Crocker's death led to the identification and arrest of three suspects from Jersey City. In September 2018, authorities arrested Jahmir Thomas, 20, and Alexander Harris, 29. The following February, members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit arrested a third suspect, 21-year-old James Crawford, in the area of Woodlawn Avenue in Jersey City. All three men were charged in connection with the murder of Eric Crocker.
The legal proceedings that followed brought a measure of resolution to the case, though with varying outcomes for the accused. James Crawford was convicted of murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon following a four-week trial. On August 12, 2022, a Hudson County Superior Court Judge sentenced Crawford to 30 years in New Jersey State Prison for his role in the shooting death of Eric Crocker. The jury, however, was unable to reach a unanimous decision on the murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges brought against Alexander Harris. The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office has stated its intention to retry Harris on those charges. The third co-defendant, Jahmir Thomas, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.
