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Judge, attorney, victim's family slam woman sentenced to life in 'thrill killing'

By Michaelangelo Conte - The Jersey Journal

February 8, 2013

The 21-year-old Jersey City woman convicted in June of the murder a Jersey City couple arriving home from their engagement party will die in prison after being sentenced to life plus 30 years today for the "thrill killing."

"I have never before been exposed to such a deviant and senseless act," Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale said before sentencing Latonia Bellamy for the murder of Nia Haqq, 25, and felony murder of Michael Muchioki, 27.

"This defendant does not possess normal impulse control and is capable of extreme violence and if released, it is highly likely she will offend again," said DePascale as Bellamy stood with her hands cuffed to a leather strap around her waist.

Bellamy must spend 93 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole for the execution-style murders on April 4, 2010 in front of their Randolph Avenue home while being robbed and carjacked.

Also charge in the killing was her cousin, Shiquan Bellamy, who awaits trial on multiple murder counts, and Darmelia Lawrence, who has pleaded guilt to four counts of armed robbery in connection four homicides. Lawrence has agreed to testify against Shiquan Bellamy.

On the witness stand during her trial, Latonia Bellamy testified that her cousin had a shotgun and handgun and she had always wanted to fire a gun. With Darmelia Lawrence, the three made their way to Randolph Avenue, trading the guns among themselves.

She testified when they saw the victims, the couple was carrying items from a vehicle and Shiquan Bellamy said, "It's them. Get them."

Latonia Bellamy said the couple was robbed and ordered to the ground where they were killed. She was convicted of shooting Haqq, as well as participating in the robbery and carjacking during which Muchioki was killed. Bellamy testified they tried to take the victims' vehicle but there was a steering lock.

Although Bellamy apologized at the hearing attended by about 30 of the victims' family members and friends, she also maintained her innocence. She told Hudson County Prosecutor Michael D'Andrea "There is no hard feelings, even though you and the jury have convicted the wrong person."

She said the media has portrayed her as a monster, but she is really an honest person who had dreams of getting an education, becoming a social worker and counseling troubled youths.

Muchioki's mother, Sandra Muchioki, spoke at the hearing, saying the victims were exemplary young people who grew up in the same city as Latonia Bellamy, but had made good choices.

"The went to school, established careers, they found each other, they got engaged, they were looking for where to getting married," Muchioki said. "One night that was stolen from them, from their families, from their friends. The impact of that is impossible to express."

At the hearing, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Michael D'Andrea told DePascale that for Latonia Bellamy, dying in prison "Is much better then she deserves and I wish her a long life in prison. ... There is no remorse, there is nothing except the blood of two young people on her hands."

Hussein Haqq quickly became tearful when he spoke to DePascale of his murdered niece today.

"I just hope that you take into your consideration that hundreds, thousands of people's lives have changed because of her actions," Hussein Haqq said. "My niece was doing an awesome job of being a decent citizen of these United States. ... They took her life because of mere stupidity."

Latonia Bellamy will become eligible for parole in the year 2106.

Life sentence for woman convicted in 2010 slaying of engaged Jersey City couple

The 21-year-old Jersey City woman convicted last June of the felony murder, carjacking and robbery of a Jersey City couple killed on their way home from their engagement party was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years today.

Latonia Bellamy was the first of three people to be tried for the murders of Nia Haqq, 25, and Michael Muchioki, 27. The couple was murdered execution-style on April 4, 2010 in front of their Randolph Avenue home.

Bellamy’s sentencing had been postponed twice before being handed down this morning in Hudson County Superior Court. She must serve 93 years before being eligible for parole.

The jury in Bellamy’s trial deliberated less than one full day before finding her guilty of murdering Haqq, the felony murder of Haqq and Muchioki, robbery, carjacking and four weapons offenses.

Bellamy was implicated in the killings along with her cousin, Shiquan Bellamy, and Darmelia Lawrence.

Bellamy admitted during the trial to firing a gun at the scene, but she said it wasn’t toward the victims. Testifying in her own defense, she said she went along with her cousin and Lawrence because she was afraid she would be harmed if she didn’t.

Lawrence in August pleaded guilty to four counts of armed robbery in connection to the slayings and two other homicides. Lawrence admitted to participating in the robbery with the Bellamys, as well as to acting as a lookout for the couple, who she said committed the murders.

Shiquan Bellamy still awaits trial.

Quick verdict finds Latonia Bellamy guilty in murders of Jersey City couple

By Michaelangelo Conte - The Jersey Journal

June 22, 2012

A 21-year-old Jersey City woman was convicted yesterday of the felony murder, carjacking and robbery of a Jersey City couple slain execution-style in the street as they returned home from their engagement party.

Latonia Bellamy is the first of three people to be tried for the murders of Nia Haqq, 25, and Michael Muchioki, 27, which took place April 4, 2010, in front of their Randolph Avenue home. Darmelia Lawrence and Bellamy’s cousin, Shiquan Bellamy, also 21, will be tried separately.

“We are gratified that justice has been served for the families and for the State of New Jersey,” Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said after the verdict. “We are prepared to prosecute the co-defendants to the full extent of the law.”

The jury in Hudson County Superior Court in Jersey City deliberated less than a full day before finding Bellamy guilty of murdering Haqq, the felony murder of Haqq and Muchioki, robbery, carjacking and four weapons offenses.

She faces 30 years to life for each felony murder when sentenced, and prosecutors will ask that the terms be served consecutively. Her sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 21 before Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale.

Latonia Bellamy showed no emotion when the verdict was rendered. Seated behind her, her mother, Tiffany Bellamy, held her face in her hands and wept.

On the other side of the packed courtroom, Michael Muchioki’s mother, Sandra, was teary-eyed as she nodded in agreement with each “guilty” spoken by the jury forewoman.

The victims were ordered to the ground and, according to Latonia Bellamy’s testimony, her cousin shot Michael Muchioki in the head with a shotgun. The jury found Latonia Bellamy guilty of firing the bullet removed from Haqq’s brain.

In his closing argument, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Michael D’Andrea said that Bellamy may not have fired the first shot, but she “finished the job,” in Haqq’s death.

Testifying in her own defense, Bellamy told the jury earlier this week that she went along with her cousin and Lawrence only because she was afraid she would be harmed if she didn’t

She also testified that she fired a gun at the scene, but not toward the victims. That testimony contradicted a videotaped statement she gave police in which she said she believed her shots might have struck the victims.

In that statement, she also admitted the three defendants got into the victims’ vehicle but could not steal it because of a steering lock, and that she accepted $40 in robbery proceeds.

The jury found Latonia Bellamy guilty of the felony murder of both victims because they found she was an active participant in the carjacking and robbery during which the couple was killed.

Shiquan Bellamy is charged with killing five people over a 2-month period.

Authorities say that besides the fatal shootings of Haqq and Muchioki, Bellamy killed Lamonte Wright, 20, Mileak Richardson, 17, and Lester Thompson, 26.

Prosecutor says Latonia Bellamy, not her cousin, shot female victim during closing statement at trial

The fate of Latonia Bellamy, charged in the murder of a Jersey City couple returning home from their engagement party, is now in the hands of the jury following closing statements yesterday.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Michael D'Andrea acknowledged in his closing statement that Bellamy, who is on trial for the April 4, 2010 execution-style slaying of Nia Haqq, 25, and Michael Muchioki, 27, on Randolph Avenue, might not have fired the first shot, but told the jury she "finished the job."

On Tuesday, Bellamy testified that her cousin, Shiquan Bellamy, shot Muchioki in the head with a shotgun and then she fired a 9mm handgun at the ground but not at the victims. She said she then handed the handgun to her cousin and he used it to shoot both victims.

But D'Andrea noted two witnesses said they heard a "boom" and then "pop, pop, pop," and he said the evidence shows Latonia Bellamy fired one round that struck Haqq in the head, a second round that struck Muchioki's buttocks, and a third that missed.

When the shotgun was recovered at Shiquan Bellamy's home it held two cartridges, D'Andrea said, noting the shotgun could only hold three cartridges.

"Know where that (third) round was? It was used to shoot Mike," said D'Andrea, adding that there was no need for the defendant to give the handgun to Shiquan Bellamy. "We know the (handgun) shots where 'pop, pop, pop' . . . She finished the job."

On the witness stand and before the trial, Latonia Bellamy said she had merely wanted to fire a gun and that her cousin was the killer. In her videotaped questioning by police a few days after the killings, she admitted taking $40 in proceeds of the robbery and said she had joined the other defendants in the victims' car to steal it but couldn't due to a steering wheel lock.

In his summation, defense attorney John Elefthrow asked the jury: "Is this a case about who did it, or is this case about who didn't do it? This is a case of her being brought into something in which she had neither the mental state nor a reason to be a part of . . . She has to have the intent, the shared intent, and she did not."

Elefthrow reminded the jury that on April 9, 2010 his client spoke to detectives voluntarily, told them Shiquan Bellamy and Darmelia Lawrence were involved, told them she had fired the handgun at the scene, told them where Shiquan Bellamy dumped the proceeds from the robbery, and more.

"She told her side," Elefthrow said. "If she wanted to lie, she wanted to make something up, she would have never said 'I had a gun.' "

Jury deliberations resume this morning at 9:30 a.m. Latonia Bellamy faces up to life in prison. The three defendants are being tried separately and hers is the first trial.

Mom of woman accused in couple's murder: Family member of victim doesn't blame my daughter

The mother of the woman on trial for the murder of a Jersey City couple in 2010 said a family member of one of the victims told her yesterday that she does not blame her daughter for the murders.

Tiffany Bellamy, whose daughter Latonia Bellamy is accused of murdering Nia Haqq and Michael Muchioki, said that the family member told her the blames lies with one of the two others charged in the couple's deaths.

Bellamy said she doesn't know the name of the woman she spoke with at the trial, but she is sure that the woman is a family member of Haqq or Muchioki.

“She was the best,” Tiffany Bellamy said of Latonia Bellamy, who is being tried separately from Darmelia Lawrence and Latonia's cousin, Shiquan Bellamy in the April 4, 2010 killings. Haqq and Muchioki were shot dead after returning home from their engagement party.

“She said 'I don’t blame your daughter, I blame Shiquan Bellamy,'” the mother said today while the jury deliberated. “I blame him, too. It’s really wrong for her to lose someone.”

Tiffany Bellamy said she has not approached the victims’ immediate family members because she is not sure how she would be received. She said she is willing to talk to them no matter how uncomfortable it would be.

“I will take everything they want to give,” Tiffany Bellamy said. “I am willing to be a punching bag if that’s what they need."

The mother said she has no idea how her daughter could have been caught up in “something as heinous as this.” She said her daughter was attending Felician College in Lodi at the time and home on spring break when the killings occurred. She also said she is hopeful her daughter will not be convicted in the murders.

“She had a plan, we had a plan,” the mother said. “But she let her love for someone blind her. A person who really loved you wouldn’t pull you in.”

Latonia Bellamy has testified that she was paralyzed with fear at the time of the killings and was afraid of what Shiquan Bellamy would do to her if she did not go along. Tiffany Bellamy said her daughter has dreams of the killings, but in her dreams Shiquan Bellamy is actually killing her.

“I love my daughter with all my heart and if i could trade places with her so she could continue her life, i would,” Tiffany Bellamy said. “I want everyone to know that I am here for her. A mother’s love will never fade."

As to Shiquan Bellamy, the mother said “When he came to my house there were no problems. We sat, we played games, we had meals. He was a good boy to me.”

Tiffany Bellamy said she is in pain, but she feels the pain of the victims' families as well.

“Rigth now their pain is more important than everything I feel right now,” the mother said. “Everyone needs to be able to move on and after this I really pray that the family is able to. To move on you have to forgive. I just want them to be able to go on. I understand their pain is always going to be there. That wound is never going to close.”

This morning the jury asked to be recharged on the law regarding “accomplice liability” as it relates to the charges of murder, felony murder, carjacking and robbery. Judge Paul DePascale recharged them again and they returned to deliberation at 11:30.

The jury has also asked for a readback of portions of Latonia Bellamy’s testimony while on the stand, but that has not yet been done. They have ordered lunch.

Jersey City murder defendant says 'I was lying then' in disavowing her answers in videotaped questioning by police

Speaking in hushed tones, the woman accused of murdering a Jersey City couple returning home from their engagement party told jurors yesterday that she “didn’t shoot anyone” and that she was only there that morning because she feared for her life.

Latonia Bellamy said she feared her cousin, Shiquan Bellamy, would kill her if she seemed opposed to the crime and only took a cut of the proceeds because “I was afraid he would kill me if I didn’t. He would think I was going to police.”

Both Bellamys and Darmelia Lawrence, all 21, are charged in the April 4, 2010 execution-style slaying of Nia Haqq, 25, and Michael Muchioki, 27, in front of their Randolph Avenue home. The three are being tried separately and the current trial is the first.

Less than a week after the murders, Latonia Bellamy told investigators the three were at Shiquan Bellamy’s home when he took out a shotgun and pistol and that she had told them she had always wanted to shoot a gun.

On the witness stand yesterday, she said the three took a walk with the weapons and when they came upon the couple unloading gifts from their vehicle, Shiquan Bellamy ordered the couple to the ground and fired the shotgun at Muchioki’s head.

She said her cousin turned to her and said, “ ‘You want to shoot a gun? Shoot the f gun.’ ”

“If I had a chance to run, I would have ran,” said Bellamy, who appeared nervous and was told numerous times by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale to speak up while testifying.

She said she was “paralyzed” with fear and she fired the 9mm handgun at the ground “away from them.” She said the three then got into the couple’s vehicle, but could not steal it because its steering wheel was locked, so they fled.

Her testimony contradicted a video-recorded interview Bellamy gave before her arrest. In that interview, she first told investigators she had fired into the air before Shiquan Bellamy killed both victims using both guns.

Later in the recorded interview she said she fired once into the air and once at the ground, before finally saying she shot twice toward the ground and the bullets may have struck the victims.

Under cross-examination, Hudson County Prosecutor Michael D’Andrea aggressively questioned Bellamy on inconsistencies in her statements. He pressed her at one point saying, “Were you lying then or are you lying now?”

“I was lying then,” she testified.

Bellamy said she spoke to investigators voluntarily because she wanted to tell the truth about what happened and her inconsistencies were due to the fact she was tired and wanted to get through the process.

During cross-examination, the defendant testified she had planned to go to police after the killings, but D’Andrea noted she had not come forward until five days later, and only after learning she was being sought.

Bellamy spent 90 minutes on the stand and defense attorney John Elefthrow then called four character witnesses who testified that his client had a reputation for honesty. The defense rested at 2:20 p.m.

Shiquan Bellamy is also charged in the March 27, 2010 murder of Lamonte Wright, 20, of Woodlawn Avenue, and the Feb. 2, 2010 murders of Lester Thompson, 26, and Mileak Richardson, 17, both of Van Nostrand Avenue.

Closing arguments in Latonia Bellamy’s trial will be heard today at 9 a.m.

Woman accused of killing Jersey City couple testifies: 'I didn't shoot anyone'

JERSEY CITY — Speaking softly from the witness stand, the woman being tried in the murder of a Jersey City couple returning from their engagement party in 2010 was adamant that she had didn't shoot anyone.

Latonia Bellamy said she feared her cousin, Shiquan Bellamy, would kill her if she seemed to be opposed to the killing and robbery and only took a cut of the proceeds because “I was afraid he would kill me if I didn’t take it ... he would think I was going to go to police.”

Both Bellamys and Darmellia Lawrence, all 21, are charged in the April 4, 2010, slaying of Nia Haqq, 25, and Michael Muchioki, 27, in front of the couple's Randolph Avenue home.

Latonia Bellamy told investigators the three were at Shiquan Bellamy’s home when he took out a shotgun and pistol and she said she had always wanted to shoot a gun.

On the stand today she said the three took a walk with the weapons and when they came across the couple unloading gifts from their car, Shiquan Bellamy ordered them to the ground and fired a shotgun blast at Muchioki's head. She said he turned to her and said “You want to shoot a gun. Shoot the (expletive) gun.”

“If I had the chance to run, I would have ran,” Latonia Bellamy testified. She said she was “paralyzed” and fired the handgun at the ground, “away from" the victim.

“I didn’t shoot anyone,” said Bellamy, who was on the stand from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The defendant said the three got into the couple’s vehicle, but could not take it because of a steering lock so they all fled together.

But during an interview before her arrest she told investigators she had fired once into the air and once at the ground, and finally, she said she fired twice toward the ground and the shots may have hit the victims.

She admitted sharing in the proceeds of the robbery and having gotten into the couple's car when the three were going to take it.

Under cross examination, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Michael D’Adrea questioned Latonia Bellamy on inconsistencies in her statements. “Were you lying then or are you lying now?”

“I was lying then” she told the jury.

Latonia Bellamy said the inconsistencies were because she was tired when interviewed by homicide detectives and was just trying to get the process completed. She noted that she had voluntarily gone to speak to investigators and and had simply attempted to tell the truth.

Defense attorney John Elefthrow rested his case at 2:19 after calling a family member and four friends as character witnesses who said the defendant had a reputation for being honest and truthful.

The prosecution rested at about 10 a.m. today.

Closing arguments will be heard Wednesday morning. The jury will then be charged prior to beginning deliberations on Latonia Bellamy's guilt or innocence. She faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted.

Three are arrested in Jersey City execution-style slayings the same day as second victim is laid to rest

The Star-Ledger

April 9, 2010

JERSEY CITY - A Jersey City woman whose brother was charged in the execution-style killings of two men earlier this year was among three teens arrested today for a similarly ruthless double-slaying: Sunday’s killings of a young couple as they returned home from their engagement party.

Darmelia Lawrence, 19, who sought to provide an alibi for her brother after his February arrest, was charged with felony murder, armed robbery and weapons counts in the shooting deaths of Michael Muchioki, 27, and Nia Haqq, 25, who were buried together in a Linden cemetery today afternoon.

Two of Lawrence’s friends — Latonia Bellamy and Shiquan Bellamy, thought to be cousins — also were charged. Both are 19 and from Jersey City.

The arrests brought some measure of solace in a case that has devastated two families and rattled many in New Jersey’s second-largest city.

"This was the worst type of violent crime — a homicide involving a stranger on stranger — and was an act of pure and random viciousness," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said. "This tragedy has touched the lives of so many, and knowing these suspected killers are behind bars is the first step in the healing process."

Lawrence and Latonia Bellamy were each ordered held on $1 million bail during an appearance in the Central Judicial Court in Jersey City.

Shiquan Bellamy has been in custody since Tuesday, when he was picked up for questioning in the killings and was found to have drugs, a violation of his parole from an earlier drug case. Today, he was ordered held in lieu of $2 million bail.

Shiquan Bellamy’s arrest, as well as forensic evidence and phone records, led to a break in the case and charges against the teens, authorities said.

Muchioki, a software engineer who grew up in Jersey City, and Haqq, an associate producer for an affiliate of the Nickelodean television network, were returning home from their engagement celebration in New Brunswick around 3 a.m. Sunday when the suspects allegedly robbed them and shot them execution-style.

Muchioki suffered a shotgun blast to the back of the head. His fiancee was shot in the back of the head with a pistol, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said. The killers stole gift cards the couple had received at the party, along with cell phones and Haqq’s engagement ring.

The crime echoed in brutality, if not in precise detail, to the double-murder allegedly carried out by Lawrence’s brother two months earlier. In that case, Ronald "Diddy" Lawrence, 21, and another man executed two men with gunshots to the head in what DeFazio previously called a "premeditated and planned" robbery.

Darmelia Lawrence attended her brother’s Feb. 9 bail hearing, telling a Jersey Journal reporter her brother was with her at home when the killings took place.

"He turned himself in because he knew he did nothing wrong," she said at the time. "He wants to take the lie-detector test to prove it."

The alibi apparently didn’t stand up. Ronald Lawrence remains in the Hudson County Jail on $1 million bail.

Today’s arrests were announced as hundreds of mourners crowded into Monumental Baptist Church in Jersey City for Muchioki’s memorial service. Deputy Mayor Kabili Tayari broke the news inside the church, drawing thunderous applause from those gathered inside.

"We’re happy," Muchioki’s mother, Sandra, said of the arrests. "We are so thankful."

Haqq’s mother, Majeeda Haqq, called the charges a first step in what she expects to be a long march toward closure.

"I’m relieved, but I won’t be totally relieved until we go to trial and we get some answers," she said.

Nia Haqq’s funeral service was held Thursday at Newark Symphony Hall. She and Muchioki, who were to be married in Aruba next April, were instead buried side by side this afternoon at Linden’s Rosedale Cemetery. Their families placed matching wedding bands on their fingers.

Jersey City couple slain after returning from their engagement party

By Jeff Diamant - The Star-Ledger

April 5, 2010

JERSEY CITY -- Just hours after friends joyfully toasted them at their engagement party, a couple lay dead on a Jersey City street this morning, shot during what police said was a possible carjacking.

College sweethearts Michael Muchioki, 27, and Nia Haqq, 25, had planned to marry next April, those close to them said. On Saturday evening, the couple celebrated their engagement with friends and family at Delta’s, a soul food restaurant in New Brunswick, and then at a larger gathering at Perle, a club and lounge also in the Middlesex County city.

Afterward, a friend said, they begged off going to a diner, opting to return to Muchioki’s Jersey City apartment in Haqq’s Honda CRV. Police said the couple were shot around 3 a.m., a few doors from Muchioki’s home.

Today, as the news spread, their loved ones, shocked and devastated, arrived at Muchioki’s Randolph Avenue home. Many stood outside crying and hugging one another.

"My heart has been ripped out," said Muchioki’s mother, Sandra Muchioki. "We will celebrate him (Muchioki) for the rest of our lives."

Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said the couple were found dead near Haqq’s vehicle. Each had been shot twice, each once in the head, he said.

Based on the crime scene and witness statements, authorities believe the couple were approached by three carjackers — a man and two women — after they parked, but that an anti-theft device prevented the car from being easily moved, DeFazio said.

He said the carjackers left the scene in a gold Pontiac Grand Am.

"These perpetrators have to be brought to justice," DeFazio said, "and we are looking for any help that we can get from anyone in the community that may have any information that is relevant to this outrageous homicidal activity."

Muchioki, who had attended the New Jersey Institute of Technology, left the school before graduation for a job involving computer software, said Kenny Simmons, a close friend. He worked as a software engineer in Jersey City.

Haqq, who has ties to the Trenton area, graduated from the College of New Jersey. She was an associate producer for an affiliate of Nickelodeon in New York, several friends said. Her family could not be reached yesterday.

The couple had met through Greek life at their colleges, and their fraternity brothers and sorority sisters had a strong presence at the celebrations Saturday night and at Muchioki’s home today. Muchioki was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, and Haqq of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Friends, who described the couple as popular, positive people without enemies, said they were stunned anyone would harm them.

"Mike always made you laugh and was always smiling," said Colean Bembry, who attended college with Muchioki. "There are times when I was down and he knew how to pick me up. He knew how to be a friend, and he was just a good person. Nia, the same thing with her. She had the biggest smile ever."

On Saturday, around 7:30 p.m., about 15 of their nearest and dearest friends indulged in catfish, stuffed pork chops and other offerings at Delta’s. Then, from around 10 p.m. until just before 2 a.m., they danced at Perle.

"It’s almost unreal," said Holley Murchison, a friend of the couple’s who went to the nightclub. "His friend told me and I’m just like, ‘What?’ You saw them just moments ago, smiling and enjoying themselves. This is like stuff you read about, but it never hits that close to home."

Everything about them was incongruous with a violent end, said Lance Alexander, an Alpha Phi Alpha member who came to know the couple through the fraternity.

"Their heads were so well together. That’s why this is so hard and heavy on everybody," he said. "They were not in trouble. They didn’t keep that type of company. To be brutally murdered, it’s absurd."

Alexander said he arrived at the party late, at about 1:50 a.m. today, just as Muchioki and Haqq were leaving the club. The three, along with many others, stayed outside talking for more than a half hour, he said.

"I said to him, ‘You guys hungry? We’ll go to a diner. He said, ‘No ... I’m gonna take it in. We’re gonna go home," Alexander said. "Then they went home, and this is what happened."