| NEWS RELEASE |
| OFFICE OF THE ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR |
| PAULA T. DOW, Essex County Prosecutor |
| | For Immediate Release | | Friday, February 13, 2009 |
| |
| Montclair YMCA Homicide Suspect Indicted by Grand Jury |
| |
| | Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow today announced that an Essex County Grand Jury returned an indictment |
| | against an Orange man for fatally shooting his estranged partner at the YMCA in Montclair last summer. |
| | |
| | Kenneth Duckett, 37, has been indicted for slaying Monica Paul, 31, of Montclair, last June, near a YMCA indoor |
| | swimming pool observation area. Duckett was charged with murder, 2nd degree unlawful possession of a weapon |
| | and 2nd degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He remains in the Essex County Jail in lieu of $1 |
| | million bail. If convicted of the charges, he faces up to life in State Prison. Also named in the indictment, is Basil |
| | Stewart, 46, of Brooklyn, a relative of the defendant. Stewart was charged with 3rd degree hindering prosecution. |
| | |
| | According to Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Gregory DeMattia, Director of the Homicide Squad, on June 26, |
| | 2008, at approximately 6:30 p.m., the defendant entered the YMCA on Glen Ridge Avenue in Montclair, confronted |
| | his estranged wife and fired several shots with a handgun and immediately fled the scene. Montclair Police |
| | discovered the victim’s body near the swimming pool observation area suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. |
| | She was pronounced dead at the scene. She was a mother of two children – an 11 year-old daughter – who was with |
| | her at the time of the shooting – and a 4-year-old son who was taking swimming lessons at the time of the incident. |
| | On July 8, 2008, Duckett was found hiding in a Brooklyn apartment by members of the U.S. Marshals New |
| | York/New Jersey Fugitive Regional Task Force. Co-defendant Basil Stewart, who had been cooperating with |
| | Montclair Police during the time of the investigation, was allegedly aware of Duckett’s whereabouts in Brooklyn. |
| | |
| | |
| | Prosecutor Dow commended the Detectives from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Homicide Squad, the Montclair |
| | Police Department, the U.S. Marshals in New York / New Jersey, and the New York City Police Department with |
| | the investigation. In addition, Dow praised Essex County Prosecutor Detective Susan Bzik – who is detailed to |
| | the U.S. Marshals, Newark Police Detective Rasheen Peppers – who is also detailed to the Marshals, Dan Potucek |
| | of the U. S. Marshals, Essex County Prosecutor Homicide Squad lead detective Guy Trogani, and Montclair Police |
| | lead detectives James Milano and Ricky Singleton with this investigation. |
| | |
| | These criminal charges are mere accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of |
| | law. |
| ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
| CONTACT: | PAUL M. LORIQUET, Press Secretary | (973) 621-4021 |
| | Essex County Prosecutor's Office | (973) 621-4700 |
| | Essex County Courts Building |
| | Newark, New Jersey 07102 |