On a summer afternoon in Trenton, New Jersey, the life of 19-year-old Nebate Anderson, a Black male also known as Nebate Kalil Washington, was tragically cut short. On June 30, 2017, at approximately 1:50 p.m., Anderson was gunned down in the first block of Sanford Street, directly across from his own home. When police arrived, they discovered him lying on the ground between a car and a minivan.
He was pronounced dead at the scene from fatal gunshot wounds.
The investigation into Anderson's death led to the arrest of 30-year-old Leroy Tutt on August 5, 2017. Authorities identified the motive for the killing as an act of retaliation. Weeks prior, on April 26, 2017, Anderson had allegedly shot Tutt in the buttocks. Before his death, warrants had been issued for Anderson's arrest in connection with that prior shooting. Tutt, who had a history of violent criminal offenses, was taken into custody without incident after being spotted by patrol officers.
Leroy Tutt was subsequently indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree murder and related weapons offenses. His initial trial, however, ended in a hung jury, with the jurors unable to reach a unanimous verdict. To avoid a retrial, Tutt accepted a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree reckless manslaughter. As a result of his plea, Tutt was sentenced to seven years in state prison.
