In the early morning hours of Mother's Day, May 14, 2017, Patrick Olarerin, a 57-year-old man originally from Lagos, Nigeria, was found in his North Brunswick, New Jersey, apartment with a fatal gunshot wound. Emergency services were called to his residence at approximately 5:15 a.m., and he was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later. His death was quickly ruled a homicide, prompting an investigation by the North Brunswick Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.
The investigation into Olarerin's death soon focused on Jerome Davis, a 40-year-old man from Piscataway. It was revealed that Olarerin was in a relationship with Davis's ex-girlfriend, a situation that had led to Davis stalking and harassing Olarerin prior to the shooting. On the day of the incident, Davis illegally entered Olarerin's home and shot him.
At the time of the murder, Davis was out on bail while awaiting sentencing for a robbery in Union County. The investigation, led by Detective Seeta Jones of the North Brunswick Police Department and Detective David Abromaitis of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, culminated in Davis's arrest on the same day as the shooting. He was formally charged with murder and burglary on May 19, 2017.
Following a three-week trial that commenced on April 9, 2019, a jury found Jerome Davis guilty of first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and burglary. The evidence presented during the trial highlighted Davis's history of harassing Olarerin. On June 27, 2019, Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Colleen M. Flynn sentenced Davis to 65 years in state prison for the murder. Under the terms of his sentence, Davis is required to serve 85 percent of his term before becoming eligible for parole. He also received concurrent sentences of 10 years for each of the other charges.
