By: Richard L. Smith
A Rahway resident has been sentenced to 25 years in state prison for his role in a deadly shooting that claimed the life of a Roselle man in 2022, according to information released by Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel.
On Friday, September 5, Union County Superior Court Judge Christopher Struben imposed the sentence on 34-year-old Brandan Melford, who had previously pleaded guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter.
Under the terms of the sentence, Melford must serve at least 85 percent of the prison term before being eligible for parole.
The charges stem from a November 12, 2022, incident on the 1400 block of Witherspoon Street in Rahway.
Responding officers from the Rahway Police Department discovered Jack Harris, 44, of Roselle, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Harris was later pronounced dead, Union County Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Cho confirmed.
Melford entered his guilty plea on June 27, 2025, admitting to the crime that ended Harris’s life.
In a statement, Prosecutor Daniel expressed that the outcome reflects the office’s commitment to justice:
“I hope this sentence can provide some assurance to the victim and his family, as well as the community, that we will not tolerate these egregious offenses and will expend all of our efforts to bring offenders to justice.”
Rahway Police Chief Law Enforcement Officer Shawn Ganley and Rahway Police Director Frank D’Errico joined Prosecutor Daniel
in announcing the sentencing.