On a spring afternoon, just before 5 p.m. on April 11, 2017, the life of 28-year-old Michael Eargle was tragically cut short. Eargle, a male resident of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was gunned down near the intersection of Lafayette Street and Madison Avenue, only a few blocks from the city's police headquarters. When Elizabeth Police Department patrol units arrived at the 1800 block of Lafayette Street responding to reports of gunfire, they discovered Eargle with multiple gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter.
Eargle was a man of considerable local renown, a former football standout at Elizabeth High School who had graduated in 2007. His athletic prowess on the field led to a scholarship to Purdue University. Beyond his sporting achievements, he was an employee of the Elizabeth Housing Authority. At the time of his death, he was a father to a young son, with another child on the way. His sudden and violent death sent shockwaves through the community, leaving his family and friends devastated.
The investigation into Eargle's murder was a collaborative effort involving the Union County Homicide Task Force, the Elizabeth Police Department, the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, and the Union County Police Department Ballistics Unit. Their joint investigation led them to identify 20-year-old Quazir Reddick of Edison as a suspect. A multi-state search for Reddick ensued, involving the Prosecutor's Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and police departments from both Elizabeth and Edison.
After a three-week manhunt, Reddick was located and arrested in Memphis, Tennessee. He was taken into custody without incident by the Memphis Police Department and faced extradition back to New Jersey to be charged with murder and weapons offenses in connection with Eargle's death. Authorities publicly thanked members of the public for their cooperation and support during the investigation, highlighting the crucial role citizens can play in bringing perpetrators of violent crimes to justice.
