By: Richard L. Smith
An Essex County jury has convicted a man identified as Tolbert in connection with two separate shootings, including the 2022 murder of a 16-year-old Newark teenager and a 2023 shooting that wounded another man.
According to information released by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, jurors returned the guilty verdicts on October 9, 2026, following one day of deliberations.
Prosecutors said the first incident occurred on November 27, 2022, when Tolbert and several other men picked up 16-year-old Alsanir Hall from a Newark residence and drove him to Irvington.
After arriving, Tolbert allegedly demanded money from the teenager before shooting him in the face at close range. Hall died from his injuries, and the group fled the scene.
Authorities said Tolbert was also responsible for a second shooting on January 22, 2023, at a Newark residence where a five-year-old child’s birthday celebration had taken place earlier.
Investigators determined that Tolbert and another gunman threw items outside the home to lure 26-year-old Altiliyah Butler outdoors.
Once Butler emerged, the gunmen fired 19 rounds, striking him twice.
Prosecutors established that Tolbert used the same handgun in both shootings.
The jury convicted Tolbert of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and multiple weapons offenses.
Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Austin Edwards and Assistant Prosecutor Alaric Azeez prosecuted the case before Superior Court Judge John Gizzo.
Following the verdict, Edwards expressed hope that the conviction would provide some measure of closure for Hall’s grieving family.
A sentencing date was not included in the information provided.