Two men accused of beating a man to death outside a Dover, NJ bar will be tried in separate trials.
The victim, who hailed from Los Angeles, was found dead near Mero’s Lounge in 2011.
According to authorities, one of the suspects was a bar bouncer who removed the victim from the establishment for getting out of line with other patrons. Sometime later, the other suspect allegedly hit the victim twice in the stomach with a metal pole. Prosecutors believe that this is what ultimately caused the victim’s death.
Prosecutors played a recorded statement from one of the suspects in court. In the statement, the suspect indicates that he was upset because the victim had touched his wife’s rear end; sometime later, the victim punched him during a scuffle inside the bar.
One of the suspects has been charged with murder, while the other suspect has been charged with aggravated assault.
Defense lawyers for the two defendants argued in court that the suspects did not know each other and that their alleged beatings of the victim constituted “two separate events.” Although the prosecution countered that the attacks were “co-mingled,” the Morris County Superior Court judge agreed with the defense and set separate court dates for the two suspects.
For more information, access the NJ.com article entitled “Police: Separate Trials Will Be Held for 2 Men in Beatings That Left Man Dead near Dover Bar.“