A Newark man pleaded guilty but mentally ill to Murder Second Degree and Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony for the September 2017 stabbing death of his girlfriend, Sherrie Campbell.
The investigation began as a check on the welfare when officers responded to a residence on Westfield Drive on September 22, 2017, at approximately 11:45 p.m. Officers made entry into the residence and located the body of an adult female who had suffered multiple stab wounds. The victim was identified as 34-year-old Sherrie L. Campbell of Westfield Drive in Newark. The investigation by detectives quickly focused on Campbell’s boyfriend, Rondell Veal, then 36. Detectives and Crime Scene Officers were able to gather evidence linking Veal to the crime, according to police.
At approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 23rd, detectives obtained arrest and search warrants focusing on Veal. Detectives learned that Veal may have fled to New York City and subsequently contacted NYPD to assist in locating Veal. On Sunday, September 24th, Veal was located in a hospital suffering from self-inflicted injuries, after being struck by a train in an apparent suicide attempt.
Veal reportedly had slashed his throat and leaped onto the southbound Number 6 train tracks at the Grand Central-East 42nd Street station at around 1:15 a.m. that morning. Police were able to grab him before a train arrived and medical crews rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, where a surgeon worked on his slashed neck wound.
Shortly after the incident in New York, Newark Detectives traveled to New York City to continue the investigation. Newark Police Chief, Paul Tiernan, said at the time that he commended the efforts of the responding officers and detectives who worked tirelessly to bring this case to a successful resolution.
Rondell Veal, now 38, is scheduled to be sentenced in September by a Superior Court judge and faces up to life in prison.
Deputy Attorneys General Joseph Grubb and Danielle Brennan prosecuted the case. Paralegals Wendy Wilkinson and Jaime Prater worked on the case, along with DOJ Investigator Guillermo Santiago. The case was investigated by Detective Daniel Bystricky of the Newark Police Department.
