In Elizabeth, New Jersey, on the night of May 18, 2015, the life of 29-year-old Michael Thompkins, a male, was tragically cut short. Responding to reports of gunfire shortly after 10 p.m., police discovered Thompkins in a second-floor hallway of his apartment building at the Oakwood Plaza housing complex on Parker Road. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to Trinitas Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The investigation into the shooting unfolded over the following weeks and took a dark and unexpected turn. Authorities identified the suspect as Thompkins' own cousin, 22-year-old Todd West. The motive for the killing remained unclear, with officials stating that the incident did not appear to be related to gang activity or drugs.
The investigation revealed a more extensive and chilling series of events.
It was determined that West was also responsible for a violent shooting spree that occurred in Elizabeth on June 25, 2015, resulting in the deaths of three other individuals and the serious injury of a fourth. Following this spree, West fled to Pennsylvania, where he committed additional murders. He was eventually arrested in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on July 6, 2015, for the crimes committed in that state.
Following his arrest, Todd West was charged with the murder of his cousin, Michael Thompkins, in addition to the numerous other charges he faced in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In December 2016, a grand jury in New Jersey indicted West for the murder of Thompkins and the other victims of his shooting spree. West had already pleaded guilty to the murders in Pennsylvania and was serving multiple life sentences there before facing justice for his crimes in New Jersey.
