DNA on tossed cigar helps Paterson, New Jersey detectives in murder arrest

[JohnS]

I don't know about you, but I wonder if this guy has watched too much of the Sopranos to think that he'd get away with this crime? Or perhaps smoking a cigar on the job is not advised in these circumstances?

DNA on tossed cigar helps Paterson detectives in murder arrest

Joe Malinconico -Tue, December 3, 2024

PATERSON — On his way to the murder, the suspected killer lighted a Black & Mild cigar. He kept smoking during the shooting and finally discarded the cigar three minutes after the gunfire ended.

That’s what police detectives say they saw on video from a surveillance camera at the scene of a Nov. 12 fatal shooting near the notorious gang-plagued Paterson corner of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Godwin Avenue.

Investigators already had the name of their 43-year-old suspect, who had a long criminal record of arrests, according to court records. But police wanted another piece of evidence.

So, detectives went to the sidewalk where video allegedly showed the shooter tossing the cigar. They retrieved the partially smoked Black and Mild and sent it to a laboratory for DNA testing.

The results came back as a match for the man detectives suspected of committing the murder — Robert Davis of Paterson.

On Tuesday, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office announced Davis was arrested on Dec. 2 and charged with murder and several other crimes in connection with the killing in which the victim was inside a moving vehicle when struck by gunfire.

Authorities have not released the name of the deceased, a 21-year-old Staten Island man, other than revealing in court records his initials, U.H. A second man was injured in the shooting, a 27-year-old from Paterson identified as K.H.

Victims' car showed up at scene again within days

The affidavit for probable cause against Davis said K.H. was “extremely uncooperative” when detectives tried to speak with him at the hospital. He alleged said he wanted to talk with his mother and to get the cell phone he left inside the vehicle in which he had been shot.

The two victims attempted to drive from the shooting scene to the emergency room at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center and crashed their 2008 Chevrolet Uplander in front of the hospital.

According to the affidavit against Davis, the victims’ vehicle was back at the corner where the crime happened within days of the shooting, near the liquor store at 230 Rosa Park. A high-profile Paterson gang calls itself the “230 Boys” because they operate at that corner.

Court records do not reveal what investigators believe the motive was in the shooting. The affidavit described Davis as “an acquaintance” of the dead man from Staten Island.

Source: https://eu.northjersey.com/story/news/paterson-press/2024/12/03/dna-tossed-cigar-aids-paterson-nj-detectives-murder-arrest/76743115007/

[anacostiakat]

Seems there might be some karma at work here for smoking a black and mild?  

[Lamboinee]

This is why I only smoke used cigars. The combined DNA evidence from at least 2 smokers' mouths prevents the special victims unit investigators at 23andMe.com from matching my DNA. 

[MrBirdman]

1 hour ago, Lamboinee said:

This is why I only smoke used cigars. The combined DNA evidence from at least 2 smokers' mouths prevents the special victims unit investigators at 23andMe.com from matching my DNA. 

Bah. A true criminal eats his nubs!