In the summer of 2018, the life of 26-year-old Michael Solemn Leonardo Morris was tragically cut short. On the afternoon of Friday, June 22nd, Newark police responded to a call in the 500 block of Elizabeth Avenue. Inside a residence, they discovered the lifeless body of Morris. He had been fatally shot. Emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene and officially pronounced him dead a short time later.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office quickly took the lead in the investigation into the city's latest homicide.
An obituary described Michael, a Newark native born on August 3, 1991, as a devoted father to his daughter, Meliah. A graduate of East Side High School in 2009, he had attended Essex County College and was remembered as a hardworking man who held a primary job while also launching his own transportation and landscaping business called Little Movers. His family recalled his infectious smile and his dedication to self-improvement and providing a legacy for his daughter.
Within days of the shooting, the investigation led to a significant development. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office announced that they had arrested and charged 22-year-old Newark resident Iyannah Sales with the murder of Michael Solemn Leonardo Morris. While authorities confirmed the arrest and the charges, they did not publicly release a motive for the fatal shooting. They stated that the investigation was ongoing and that the charges against Sales were accusations, with her being considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
