Man was killed with brick at Morristown station after eating pizza with suspect

MORRISTOWN — A man found dead at the Morristown train station appears to have had a meal with his killer before he was pummeled to death with a brick, according to investigators.

Investigators also believe the victim may have been targeted because he was known to be carrying a large wad of cash.

Lamar Harris, 33, of Morristown, was charged last week with first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, third-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

The victim whose body was found on a staircase at the station around 12:30 a.m. March 29 was identified by acting Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll only as "M.P." at the request of his family.

Surveillance video from several businesses shows M.P. having pizza with a man matching Harris' description and paying for their meal with cash before leaving for the train station, according to the affidavit filed by investigators in the case.

According to the affidavit, the man followed M.P. into the train station and was later captured on tape running out of the station.

The victim was struck in the head and face. A brick matching a pile at a construction project next to a 7-Eleven on Morris Street was found next to M.P.'s body, according to the affidavit. A medical examiner determined the manner of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.

A cell phone was partially out of M.P.'s pants pocket but no cash was found, according to the affidavit.

M.P.'s sister and a witness told police that M.P. had been carrying $1,700 in $100 bills in the days leading to his death, according to the affidavit. A clerk at a 7-Eleven said M.P. had approximately $800 in $100 bills when he was in the store the day before his death.

Harris is being held in the Morris County Jail. New Jersey 101.5 did not know Tuesday whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ