Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo announces that on March 12th, Gary Johnson, 45, of Camden, pled guilty before the Honorable David Ragonese, J.S.C., to two counts of first-degree Aggravated Manslaughter for fatally shooting John Valerio and Aleshia Hill.
According to authorities, on April 4, 2016, Camden County Police responded to the home of Aleshia Hill and John Valerio on North 26th Street in Camden for reports of a man suffering from a gunshot wound.
When police arrived, they found John Valerio, 23, laying on the floor of the living room, and Aleshia Hill, 24, on the floor in a bedroom on the second floor. Both individuals were suffering from gunshot wounds, with Aleshia Hill also suffering from blunt force trauma to her head, and were pronounced deceased at the scene.
Police arrested Gary Johnson on August 4, 2016, after a lengthy investigation, by members of the United States Marshals Task Force and members of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office with the assistance of the Pennsauken Police Department. He was taken to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office where he was charged and remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility.
Officials say on Feb. 12th, the trial of State v. Gary Johnson began in front of the Honorable David M. Ragonese. This Tuesday, during deliberations, Gary Johnson elected to waive his right to a jury verdict and accepted a plea agreement.
Under the terms of the plea agreement reached by Assistant Prosecutor Claudia Bustamante, Gary Johnson will be sentenced to 15 years in New Jersey State prison for each count of murder He will be required to serve more than 12 years of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
Family members of Aleshia Hill and John Valerio were present throughout the court proceedings. Gary Johnson will be sentenced on Apr. 26th at 9 a.m. before the Honorable David Ragonese, J.S.C.