In the fading afternoon light of October 17, 2015, the life of 24-year-old Corey Morton was tragically cut short in a violent encounter in Camden, New Jersey. A Black / African American male, Morton was discovered with fatal gunshot wounds in an alley situated on the 700 block of South 8th Street. The incident, which marked the city's 27th homicide of the year, unfolded shortly after 4 p.m.
when Camden County Police were dispatched to the area following reports of gunfire.
Responding officers found Morton lying between two buildings. He was rushed to Cooper University Hospital, but his injuries proved too severe, and he was pronounced dead a short time later. The initial investigation into the shooting was met with silence, and for a time, no arrests were made, leaving a community to grapple with the senseless loss and the ever-present specter of gun violence that haunted their streets.
The break in the case came with the identification of a teenage suspect. Isaiah Sebrell, who was 17 years old at the time of the shooting, was charged with aggravated manslaughter in connection with Corey Morton's death. In a subsequent legal proceeding, Sebrell entered into a plea bargain, admitting his guilt in the killing. Under the terms of the agreement, he was sentenced to an 18-year prison term, with the stipulation that he must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. The case was adjudicated by Superior Court Judge John T. Kelley, bringing a measure of closure to a tragedy that had deeply affected the Camden community.
