On the evening of February 8, 2016, a single gunshot shattered the night on the 1300 block of Seventh Avenue in Neptune Township, New Jersey, claiming the life of 19-year-old Andre Thorne. Thorne, a resident of Bradley Beach, was sitting in the driver's seat of his red Dodge Neon with two other individuals when the fatal shot was fired through the window, striking him in the chest. He was rushed to the nearby Jersey Shore University Medical Center, but tragically, he was pronounced dead. The young man, described by his family as kind-hearted, adventurous, and a loving son and brother, was just weeks away from his 20th birthday.
For years, the case remained unsolved, a source of lingering pain for his family and community. Investigators from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Neptune Police Department tirelessly pursued leads, refusing to let the case grow cold.
In an effort to encourage individuals to come forward with information, a $5,000 reward was offered for any tips that would lead to a conviction in Thorne's murder. Despite the passage of time, law enforcement officials remained hopeful that their persistent efforts would eventually bring justice for Andre Thorne.
A significant breakthrough in the investigation came in late 2023 and early 2024 with the arrests of three men. In December 2023, Quashon J. McDuffie, 30, of Long Branch, and Knaliek Joshua, 31, of Asbury Park, were charged in connection with Thorne's death. The following month, a third suspect, 31-year-old Stephon Keys of Neptune Township, was also charged. The charges against the three men include felony murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery. Keys was also implicated in a second shooting that occurred shortly after Thorne's murder on the same evening. The arrests marked a long-awaited development in a case that had haunted the community for nearly eight years.
