A man who used to live in Waldwick NJ is headed to prison after being convicted of using a hammer to kill someone in Paterson, New Jersey.

The suspect was convicted at the end of a trial in Passaic County Superior Court in Paterson, NJ. According to Passaic County NJ prosecutors, the suspect previously resided in Waldwick New Jersey but went to Paterson NJ and squatted at an abandoned factory on Governor Street. During a heated argument with another squatter at the Paterson NJ building, the suspect allegedly grabbed a hammer and used the weapon to murder the victim.

The suspect was eventually placed under arrest and charged with several crimes, including murder, burglary, and theft of movable property.

Now the suspect is likely going to be spending many years in prison after a Passaic County Superior Court jury convicted him on the most serious charges of murder.

When the suspect appears in court for a formal sentencing hearing later this year, he will face severe penalties on the violent crime charges. The judge could potentially sentence the suspect to life imprisonment in New Jersey State Prison, with a minimum mandatory term of incarceration of 30 years.

The suspect’s co-conspirator in the homicide case is expected to be sentenced to just six years in prison. That’s because he reached a plea deal with the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office and testified against the Waldwick NJ suspect at trial.

For further information about this case, read the NJ.com article, “Squatter Guilty in Hammer Murder of Fellow Homeless Man.”