Colts Neck man found guilty in 2015 murder of Barnegat Light resident
The Colts Neck man charged with the murder of a Barnegat Light man in 2015 has been found guilty by a jury of committing the crime, announced Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer.
Conrad Sipa used a knife and a lamp to beat Richard Doody Jr. to death inside his Barnegat Light home and was left there for a couple days before being found.
The murder occurred sometime between November 21 and 23 2015 in the Borough of Barnegat Light.
In rendering its verdict, the jury, which deliberated for approximately 2 hours, concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that Sipa purposely or knowingly caused the death of Doody, or that he purposely or knowingly caused serious bodily injury to Doody which resulted in the Barnegat Light man's death.
The jury also determined that Sipa was guilty of employing the use of deadly weapon(s), specifically a knife and a lamp, in the commission of the murder.
In addition to being found guilty of murder, the jury found Sipa guilty of two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, one count of unlawful possession of a weapon, hindering his apprehension or prosecution, and tampering with physical evidence.
Sipa was taken into custody and is currently lodged in the Ocean County Jail.
He is scheduled to be sentenced by the Honorable Rochelle Gizinski, J.S.C., on June 14, 2019, at which time he faces a sentence of life in prison.
Prosecutor Billhimer applauds the diligence and dedication of Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Patrick Sheehan and Senior Assistant Prosecutor Meghan O’Neill, who ably and skillfully tried the case on behalf of the State.
The Prosecutor likewise extends his gratitude to Detective John Murphy and the full staff of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, as well as Detective Sergeant Ron Hullings and the entire Long Beach Township Police Department, for their diligence and professionalism in investigating and solving this heinous and senseless crime.
Prosecutor Billhimer would also like to thank the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Unit. Finally, Prosecutor Billhimer would like to thank Allison Betts, a Victim-Witness Advocate for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, for the compassion and assistance she has demonstrated toward the family of Richard Doody during these very difficult and painful three and one-half years.
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