In the early morning hours of December 8, 2016, the life of 36-year-old Ronnell Harrison of Plainfield, New Jersey, was tragically cut short in a brutal act of violence. Harrison, a male resident of the city, was discovered in a driveway on the 700 block of West 4th Street shortly before 5:45 a.m. He had been shot and was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. His death marked the 10th homicide in Plainfield that year.
An investigation into the incident, conducted jointly by the Union County Homicide Task Force, the Plainfield Police Division, and other county law enforcement agencies, soon revealed a chilling sequence of events. It was determined that prior to being shot, Harrison had been viciously assaulted and knocked unconscious. After the initial attack, he was carried to the nearby driveway where he was ultimately shot and killed.
Authorities were able to gather video footage from several locations and identify a number of witnesses which aided in the investigation.
In the wake of Harrison's murder, a public plea for information was made, with the Union County Crime Stoppers offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that would lead to an arrest and indictment. The investigation led to the apprehension of three suspects. Luis DelValle, 33, and Mack Brown, 35, were both charged with first-degree murder, second-degree aggravated assault, and two related weapons offenses. A third individual, 44-year-old Alishia Bryant, was charged with second-degree aggravated assault and second-degree hindering apprehension. Bail was set at $2 million for both DelValle and Brown, and at $200,000 for Bryant. While arrests were made, the motive behind the brutal slaying was not publicly disclosed.
