Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II, announced today that Mustafa Hill, 43, of Newark pled guilty yesterday to aggravated manslaughter for killing Armani D McPhall, 19, of Newark, in December 2016 inside a liquor store in the 900 block of South Orange Avenue in Newark.
Hill admitted to shooting McPhall multiple times, in exchange for a 25-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison. Under the No Early Release Act, Hill must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
The defendant also pled guilty to first-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, a handgun, as the defendant has a prior specified conviction. The defendant also must serve five years of parole supervision after being released from State Prison.
The plea was entered before the Honorable Verna G. Leath, Judge of the Superior Court.
According to Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab, who handled the case, McPhall was fatally shot with a 9mm caliber handgun on Dec. 22, 2016, at Vailsburg Wine and Liquor. Newark Police Officers responded to a report of shots fired around 8 p.m. When they arrived on the scene they discovered McPhall near the entrance of the store, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. McPhall was pronounced dead at the scene.
This is Hill’s second homicide conviction. More than 25 years ago, in May of 1993, Hill was charged in another homicide. Hill pleaded guilty in that case to aggravated manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 years in prison with seven years of parole ineligibility.
Sentencing for Hill has been scheduled for Friday, November 2, 2018, at 9:00 am.