Authorities Say 'No Evidence' Grandmother Fatally Shot In Newark Was Carjacked
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Authorities now say there is "no evidence" to indicate that a grandmother who was murdered in Newark earlier this month was carjacked, as once believed.
Deborah Burton, 62, was gunned down in the area of 3rd Street in the middle of the afternoon on March 13 after making a stop at a nearby Shop Rite.
She was shot multiple times in her car, her body later discovered behind a boarded up house steps away from where Delano Hill lives. Burton's car was found a few blocks away.
"Just random," Hill told CBS2's Janelle Burrell. "It's sad, it really is. Makes no sense whatsoever."
The incident was first believed to be a carjacking, but according to Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly, "there is no evidence, at this time, to indicate that the victim was carjacked."
Many, like Denise Wycoff, had been completely unaware of the murder.
"It's terrible, so terrible," she said. "It's a sickness out here. People need to help instead hurting each other."
Neighbors like Nancy Inman are now frightened for their families.
"Very concerned and worried," she said. "I just pray that they catch him."
Burton, her loved ones say, was a math whiz and was earning a mathematics scholarship to attend college. She leaves behind four children, grandchildren and a host of friends and family who are confused and heartbroken and hoping her killer is caught.
"She was the sweetest, kindest, most loving, innocent, gentle human being in this world," her ex-husband Imam Shakur Abdulrahim said. "We are totally shocked and devastated that something could happen. Something as terrible as this could happen to such a wonderful human being."
What is so difficult for Burton's family is that they believe someone knows something, Burrell reported. They're still hoping someone will come forward with information.
"We're seeking justice," Abdulrahim said. "First, we look to raise the consciousness of the community in these high crime areas to not be afraid to speak out. If they see something, say something."
"You would think at that time of the day, somebody would have seen something or heard something," Hill said. "Nobody wants to speak. Everyone's just scared."
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Major Crimes Unit at (877) 847-7432.