Pound of Marijuana Caused 5 Newark Teens Murders? Suspects Arrested
Lee Anthony Evans and Philander Hampton Arrested
THE CRIME
Thinking that they were going to make a little extra money helping a local carpenter out, 4 teens from Newark and 1 from East Orange, were happy to answer a call from Lee Anthony Evans for help. The boys had worked earlier in the day with him, unloading boxes. They raced off later in the day to finish the job Lee Anthony Evans had wanted them for. Allegedly, the last time anyone saw any of the 5 teens was August 20th, 1978. Each of the last sitings involved the 5 teens being in Lee Anthony Evans pick up truck.
None of the boys had been in trouble and all were good kids and weren't likely to be runaways. Leaving the community and families at a total loss as to where the teens were. Not a trace of any of the 5 boys was found back in 1978 or in the years following. A complete disappearance of the 5 teen boys. The case went cold.
In 2008, the cold case of the Newark teens was reopened. Why? According to Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino, it was over the theft of 1 pound of marijuana. Supposedly the teens had stolen a pound of marijuana from one of the men. The 5 boys were allegedly rounded up and one by one were taken to an empty house at gun point. They were tied and then the house was set on fire. No one put the house fire and the 5 missing boys together. The boys perished by fire while bound.
THE VICTIMS
Randy Johnson-16
Melvin Pittman-17
Ernest Taylor-17
Alvin Turner-16
Mitchell McDowell-16
THE ALLEGED CONFESSION
Earnest Taylor's brother said he heard a confession by Lee Anthony Evans in 2008. He said Evans approached him and wanted to talk about the boys disappearance. Taylor said he would not listen to him unless there was someone else around to hear. A week later the men were joined by a detective in the house were Earnest Taylor once lived. Lee Anthony Evans said he was a born again Christian and had to tell the truth about the missing boys. They were murdered.
Arraignment is set for Wednesday.
5 Newark teens were murdered. Bound and burned. For what? Allegedly for a pound of marijuana.
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sources:
new york times
new jersey real time news
Published by Sherry Tomfeld
Gardening and food preservation are her passion, she has been doing both for 30 years.Working thousands of head of hogs, raising cattle, goats and chickens to being lead cook in a 90 resident nursing home. S... View profile
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15 Comments
Post a CommentVery good report...Thank you!!
Very sad case. I think I remember it.
Positively horrible...over a pound of weed! Very sad if it is true!
;-);-)
I have not heard anything about any drugs being involved and if there was a confession then why did they not make and arrest in 2008?
Don't know about in 1978, but nowadyas a pound of reefer is worth a couple grand and lots of folks will kill ya for a dollar, so . . . still, this is sad, but hopefully closure for the families.
There was a murder in Carmel about 15 years ago -- some "good" kids who made a contact with some drug dealers who came to their house to rob them and then murdered everyone there. Young people think marijuana is harmless, but even worse, they think dealers are too.
What a waste of human life.
Such a waste of life.
That's horrible. At least now the case has been solved though. Great reporting.