Asa T. Jones age 36, of Williamstown was sentenced today, Friday, April 21st to 40 years in New Jersey state prison for his conviction in the fatal stabbing of 41 year-old Tony Miles during a street fight in Williamstown on 11/17/13. A Gloucester County jury in February found Jones guilty of first degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and fourth degree possession of weapon by a convicted felon.
In sentencing Jones, Superior Court Judge Robert P. Becker accepted the request of Dianna Reed- Rolando, grand jury chief of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s office, to impose an extended term based on Jones’ criminal record and his age. Reed-Rolando presented the prosecution’s case in Jones’ trial.
Calling Jones a persistent offender and a professional criminal, he had adult convictions for receiving stolen property, theft, burglary, sexual contact, weapons possession and probation violation. Judge Becker said he found no mitigating factors in favor of leniency for Jones.
Two weapons convictions were merged into the murder offense for sentencing and a concurrent 18-month term for the convicted-felon weapons crime. Jones continued to claim in court today that he did not intend to kill Miles, but Judge Becker rejected that alibi, saying Jones hunted the victim down, after retrieving a knife from his apartment, and viciously attacked him. Jones has been in jail in default of bail since his arrest the day of the stabbing.
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