A Sicklerville man accused of murder when he was a teenager will get a new trial.
Isaiah Newsome was in the second week of trial Wednesday, when new evidence led to a mistrial in the case.
Newsome was 17 when he was accused of killing Dr. Steven Davion Garrett — who was also 17 — on Aug. 7, 2015.
Garrett was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds in Pleasantville’s Max Manning Park. Newsome was arrested two months later, and eventually waived up to be tried as an adult.
The trial started last week, but this week “information came in that essentially pointed to someone else being responsible,” defense attorney Tamika McKoy said.
Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Waldman declared a mistrial, with a plan for a new trial sometime in the fall.
But that decision will likely be for an appellate court to make, McKoy told BreakingAC.
First Assistant Prosecutor Cary Shill had not completed presenting the state’s case when the new evidence came to light involving the DNA coming back to someone other than the defendant.
“The state did what they were supposed to do in turning over that additional material,” McKoy said.
“The problem with the case all along was that everyone just viewed (Newsome) as a bad guy,” she said of her client. “No one really believed in his claim of innocence throughout the course of the trial.”
Newsome has been jailed since his arrest.
McKoy moved to have a new detention hearing in light of the new evidence.
But the judge found no change in circumstance, and denied that move.
Newsome’s mother, Yolanda Cooper, told BreakingAC that she has plans to sue over some of the treatment her family has received over the case. Nothing has been filed at this time.
