Prison gym becomes a crime scene as NJ man charged with murder

⚠️ Prosecutors say an inmate killed another prisoner inside the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility.

➡️ The victim was found dead on the gym floor after a religious service on July 17.

🔴 The accused inmate was already serving time for an aggravated assault conviction.

CHESTERFIELD — A prisoner at the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility is charged with the murder of another inmate.

On Friday, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office revealed the details of an investigation into the death of a 24-year-old man at the youth prison in Chesterfield earlier this month.

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On July 17, correctional officers found the victim, Yasin Sellers, slumped over on the floor of the prison gym. He was dead at the scene.

Investigators found that Trevor Banton, 23, of East Orange, had fatally assaulted Sellers after a religious service. Prosecutors filed a first-degree murder charge against Banton on July 21. He has a pending court date in Superior Court in Burlington County.

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A bird's-eye view of Garden State Youth Correctional Facility in Chesterfield (Google Maps)

Banton was already serving time for aggravated assault

If convicted of murder, Banton could face decades longer behind bars. He's already serving between 42 and 60 months for an aggravated assault that caused severe bodily injury, according to court records.

In September 2021, police said Banton was involved in a daytime drive-by shooting in East Orange. He was 18 years old at the time. The victim was shot once in the lower leg and survived.

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