By: Richard L. Smith
A Walter Gilliano man will spend decades behind bars for the fatal shooting of a man outside a Gloucester County sports bar in 2022.
Authorities announced that Walter Gilliano, 28, was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in New Jersey state prison after being convicted of first-degree murder and related weapons offenses in the killing of Chad Stuart, 31, of Clayton.
According to prosecutors, the deadly shooting happened on Sept. 24, 2022, outside Villari’s Sports Bar in Franklin Township.
Police responding to reports of a shooting found Chad Stuart suffering from a gunshot wound to the head in the parking lot.
Investigators said Gilliano admitted to officers at the scene that he shot Stuart.
The investigation revealed the two men argued in the parking lot after the bar closed. Prosecutors said Gilliano drove away following the confrontation, then returned minutes later armed with a gun.
An eyewitness told investigators Gilliano pointed the weapon at Stuart and fired. Stuart was rushed to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
A jury convicted Gilliano on March 3, 2026, of first-degree murder and weapons charges.
Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, he must serve at least 34 years before becoming eligible for parole.
Andrew B. Johns said the sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and the office’s commitment to seeking justice for victims and their families.
Investigators from the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes and Crime Scene Investigation Units, the New Jersey State Police Ballistics and Forensic Laboratory, and the Franklin Township Police Department assisted in the investigation.