Three Men Convicted in the 2019 Fatal Shooting of a Newark Barber, Prosecutor Says
A jury convicted three men on Oct. 29 in the 2019 shooting that killed barber Sabor Townes, 22, inside the Cut Creators Barbershop on Clinton Place in Newark, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office announced; sentencing is set for Jan. 8, 2027.
Three men have been convicted in connection with the 2019 fatal shooting of a barber inside a Newark barbershop, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II announced. On Oct. 29, 2026, following three days of jury deliberations, Daezhon Peterson, 25, of Maplewood, and William James IV, 24, of Irvington, were each convicted of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree aggravated assault, and multiple second-degree weapons counts, the prosecutor's office said.
Watson Delcy, 25, of Hillside, was convicted of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder and third-degree receiving stolen property. Prosecutors proved that on Nov. 19, 2019, James and Peterson fired more than 25 rounds at Sabor Townes, 22, of Maplewood, as he was cutting hair at the Cut Creators Barbershop on Clinton Place in Newark, the office said. Townes was pronounced dead at the scene; two other people were struck by gunfire and survived, and a third shooter was never identified. Delcy was identified as the getaway driver of a stolen Toyota Corolla.
The case was tried by Assistant Prosecutors Jacqueline Bilinkas and Sean Bradley before Superior Court Judge Christopher Romanyshyn, and the trial had been delayed by repeated changes in defence attorneys and extensive pretrial motions, the prosecutor's office said. In a statement released by the office, Bilinkas called the shooting a senseless act of violence and a tragedy for the Townes family, and Bradley said the verdict holds the defendants accountable for acting together that night.
The defendants are scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 8, 2027. Each faces 30 years to life in New Jersey State Prison, and James and Peterson face additional consecutive sentences of 10 to 20 years for the injuries to the two surviving victims, the prosecutor's office said. Names, the death and all details are as officially released by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.
