A former New Jersey man got a retrial after he was previously convicted for killing his friend and aspiring rapper. Now, he will remain behind bars for life.
Recently, Bergen County Judge Gary Wilcox sentenced Randy Manning to life in prison for the shooting death of aspiring rapper Rhian Stoute, whose stage name was “kampane.” Manning was found guilty and convicted of murder, desecration and unlawful moving of human remains, arson, destroying evidence, lying to law enforcement, illegal gun possession, and other charges.
The case stemmed from the decision of the appeal court to throw out the initial 2014 conviction after the court established in 2020 that prosecutors failed to secure a search warrant before checking his cell phone records and location.
"There is nothing more cowardly than shooting someone in the back," said Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Gary Donatello, according to Englewood.
In August 2011, officers found Stoute’s burnt body behind his Chevy Tahoe on Village Circle in Paramus. Then, an autopsy revealed the victim had been shot four times, with one of the shots tearing through the victim’s heart and killing him instantly. According to prosecutors, Manning shot Stoute to death in an abandoned building before stashing the body in the vehicle and burning the victim’s body. Investigators found a California driver’s license with the defendant’s face and the name "Jamal Johnson" on it. Later, video footage from a gas station showed Manning laughing with the attendant as he bought a gas canister, a lighter, and a pair of gloves after shooting Stoute.
Furthermore, Manning had reached out to investigators to inquire about the status of the case. As a result, the defendant was questioned and told authorities he had seen the victim last at the abandoned building where investigators established Stoute was killed. After investigators found many holes in Manning’s story, he finally admitted to the killing.
The motive for the killing remains unclear. Both men had been shopping together at a mall the day before the fatal incident.
During the retrial, Manning’s defense lawyer challenged some of the witnesses’ recollection of specific evidence. In a last effort, Manning took the stand and told the jury Stoute was more than a friend, but like a cousin to him.
"He didn't sound like he was talking about somebody that he loved. He sounded jealous and angry," said Wilcox during the sentencing hearing, reported CBS News.
The jury didn’t believe him!
Manning, a Trinidad and Tobago national, had prior criminal convictions from 2005.
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