In the early morning hours of Sunday, September 10, 2017, the life of 29-year-old Denzel N. Uwubiti of Newark, New Jersey, was tragically cut short. At approximately 2:40 a.m., Newark police responded to reports of a shooting in progress in the 100 block of North 5th Street. Upon their arrival, officers discovered Uwubiti inside a vehicle, unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
Emergency medical services were dispatched to the scene and transported Uwubiti to University
Hospital. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, he was pronounced dead at 3:11 a.m. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Task Force, which includes detectives from the Newark Police Department, immediately launched an investigation into the fatal shooting.
For several months, the case remained under active investigation. Then, on April 26, 2018, a significant breakthrough was announced. The Acting Essex County Prosecutor and Newark Public Safety Director confirmed that two suspects had been arrested in connection with Uwubiti's murder. The suspects were identified as Lenwood Thompson, 39, and Chance Venable, 47, both residents of Newark.
The arrests were the result of a collaborative effort between the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the FBI Fugitive Task Force. Both Thompson and Venable were taken into custody and subsequently charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Thompson faced an additional charge of aggravated arson. Following their arrest, both men were held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark.
