NJ man sent home after conviction, now accused of recent murder

🔺 NJ man convicted of weapons offense

🔺 Sent home ahead of sentencing

🔺 Man now charged with murder

A 35-year-old New Jersey man sent home to await his sentencing after admitting to a weapons offense has now been accused of shooting another man to death last week.

Kalief Lyons, of Galloway Township, was charged with murder in the May 9 killing of a 38-year-old man in Pleasantville.

The Pleasantville Police Department received an alert just after 11 p.m. for multiple gunshots in the area of 9 West Pleasant Avenue.

Responding officers found Baseem Taliaferro inside the first floor apartment, shot in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A witness told police that about 20 minutes earlier, an argument had happened involving Lyons and several other individuals.

Lyons left, but was seen on surveillance footage coming back to the apartment, wearing a ski mask.

The same footage caught him leaving two minutes later, without the mask on.

Lyons was arrested by Galloway Township Police early the next morning, with a 9mm handgun and a large amount of drugs in his possession.

Ballistics evidence confirmed the gun was the same used to kill Taliaferro.

Lyons admits to illegal weapons offense

On March 5th, Lyons had pleaded guilty to second-degree certain persons not to possess firearms.

That charge was in connection with a November 2022 incident, in which Lyons was found with an illegal gun, with 13 hollow point bullets loaded in a large capacity ammunition magazine and one round in the chamber.

He also had suspected illegal drugs in his possession.

Lyons was facing a recommended sentence of eight years - at least five of which he would have to serve before becoming eligible for parole.

Despite the state’s objections, he was released to home detention without a bracelet pending a sentencing set for May 28, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.

On Thursday, Lyons was being held at Atlantic County jail, pending a detention hearing for the murder charge.

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