A Pleasantville man is facing murder and weapons charges in the killing of Vernell K. Vance, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner announced.
Authorities charged Mark Huff, 54, with one count of Murder and one count of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in the killing of Vance.
Officials said Huff was arrested Monday afternoon in Pleasantville by detectives from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Atlantic City Police detectives with the assistance of Pleasantville Police. New Jersey Transit Police were instrumental in identifying Huff as the suspect in the homicide.
According to authorities, at 11:28 p.m., on April 14th, the Atlantic City Police Department received a 911 call, reporting a body had been discovered behind 21 S. Tennessee Avenue, Atlantic City. Police arrived and located Vance, who was determined to be deceased and had suffered significant blunt force head trauma.
An autopsy performed Monday by Southern Regional Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined the cause of death to be blunt force head trauma and the manner of death as homicide.
Huff is lodged at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page.
These charges are merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, a charged defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.