A Burlington County man jailed for robbery in a fatal stabbing likely will not face charges in the killing, according to the state.
Jaheel Ryan, 27, allegedly pulled a knife during an altercation with three men in Atlantic City.
Two were wounded, with Anthony Warfield dying at the hospital.
Ryan allegedly removed items from the Warfield's pockets, after the victim collapsed from his wounds near the scene.
Video surveillance helped track Ryan to Bally's Atlantic City. He was arrested the next day, after Bally's security notified police that his car had left the casino.
Ryan is in the Atlantic County Justice Facility charged with first-degree robbery.
A detention hearing set for Friday was postponed until next week. But during the brief court appearance, questions were raised about charges in the killing.
"In short, the state has reviewed the case for a homicide, and it doesn’t appear the state is moving forward on the homicide," Assistant Prosecutor Mat Feldman told the judge. "We're only moving forward on the first-degree robbery."
According to the affidavit, the victim was one of three men approached by Ryan on Saturday night in the 1100 block of Pacific Avenue at about 11:30 Saturday night.
Ryan "asked if the men knew where he could purchase a handgun," the affidavit reads.
That led to an argument, which turned into a fistfight, the report claims.
Ryan was punched by all three men, and then pulled out a knife, the report states.
Surveillance video shows Warfield walk across Pacific Avenue headed south, and then collapse in the middle of the street. The man later identified as Ryan then walks over to Warfield, "a proceeds to search (him) and remove items from (Warfield's) pockets before walking away southbound on Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Atlantic City Boardwalk," the affidavit reads.
Cameras tracked Ryan to Bally's, showing him walking slow and spitting what appeared to be blood, the report states.
Ryan allegedly admitted to using a knife in the altercation and said that the victim's wallet may be in his hotel room.
Ryan will remain jailed pending his rescheduled detention hearing next week.
