NJ man convicted of murder for shooting victim in the head outside a bar

⚖️ NJ man is convicted of murder in bar parking lot shooting.

⚖️ Gloucester County jury finds Walter Gilliano guilty after 4-week trial.

⚖️ Gilliano requested a new jury pool after an Executive Order, but was denied.

A 28-year-old Gloucester County man has been found guilty of murder in the shooting death of a 31-year-old victim outside a local bar.

Walter Gilliano, of Franklinville, was convicted of first-degree murder and two related second-degree weapons charges by a jury after a four-week trial in Gloucester County Superior Court.

Chad Stuart, of Clayton, died at a hospital after being shot in the head on Sept. 24, 2022.

Deadly shooting outside NJ sports bar in Franklin Township

Franklin Township Police arrived outside Villari’s Sports Bar before 5 a.m. and found the victim lying on the ground.

Gilliano told officers he had shot Stuart, and an investigation confirmed that the men had argued in the parking lot after the bar closed.

Prosecutors said Gilliano then got into his car and drove away — only to return a few minutes later with a gun, which he fired at the victim as an eyewitness looked on.

Stuart, who grew up in Vineland, was mourned by his family and loved ones as a man with a strong religious faith who also “loved the restaurant business, fine dining, health, and fitness.”

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NJ Supreme Court denies request over jury pool expansion

Days before jury selection began last month, Gilliano requested a new jury pool.

In January, former Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order restoring the ability of about 350,000 New Jersey residents with prior criminal convictions to serve on juries, New Jersey Monitor reported. 

The case went to the state Supreme Court, which denied the request to dismiss the already narrowed pool, saying Gilliano was not denied his “Sixth Amendment right to a jury made up of a representative cross-section of his community.”

Sentencing set, 30 years to life possible

When sentenced on April 24, Gilliano faces 30 years to life in state prison.

“Our office remains steadfast in its commitment to seeking justice for victims of violent
crime,” Gloucester County Prosecutor Andrew B. Johns said in a written statement.

Villari's Sports Bar was officially sold last year and has reopened as the Mill Tavern, along Coles Mill Road.

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