On the morning of September 1, 2018, police responded to a call at approximately 8:05 a.m. regarding an unresponsive male in a vehicle at the intersection of Morris and Commonwealth avenues in Trenton, New Jersey. Upon arrival, they found 34-year-old Eric Rue inside the car, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the lower part of his body. The male victim, a resident of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, was rushed to St. Francis Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after.
An investigation by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force led to the identification of a suspect. On September 6, 2018, Mycol Beckett, a 29-year-old man from Trenton, was arrested during a motor vehicle stop.
He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree certain persons not to possess a handgun.
Further investigation revealed a possible motive stemming from an incident earlier that morning. It is alleged that Beckett had been involved in an altercation at a local bar and was removed by security. Authorities believe that after being ejected, Beckett armed himself and then encountered Rue, who was a regular at the establishment. Following his arrest, Beckett was held at the Mercer County Correction Center pending a detention hearing.
