In the late hours of a Tuesday in March 2014, the life of 21-year-old Abenego Wesseh was brought to a tragic end in Fairmount Park in Willingboro, New Jersey. A male, Wesseh, who resided in Williamstown but was a frequent visitor to Willingboro, was lured to the park by someone he considered a friend. It was there, in a wooded section of the park, that he was fatally shot in the head. His body was discovered the following afternoon, on March 26, 2014, along a paved path.
An autopsy later confirmed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
The investigation into Wesseh's death moved swiftly, and suspicion quickly fell upon Abdullah H. Sheriff, a 19-year-old senior at Willingboro High School. Investigators arrested Sheriff at the school just two days after Wesseh's body was found. The firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was also recovered by authorities. The two young men, whose families were both from Liberia, had once been close friends. The motive for the killing was reported to be that Sheriff felt 'teased' and 'disrespected' by Wesseh.
Initially charged with murder and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, Abdullah H. Sheriff remained incarcerated following his arrest. In April 2017, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated manslaughter, admitting to the shooting. He was subsequently sentenced to 21 years in state prison. Under the terms of his sentence, he is required to serve at least 85 percent of his term before becoming eligible for parole. As a native of Liberia, Sheriff also faces deportation upon completion of his prison term.
