On April 7, 2021, Nelson was sitting in his car when he was shot and critically injured by Justen Couram on the 200 block of Pomona Avenue, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens, II said. Minutes after the shooting, a vehicle driven by Couram and occupied by three other individuals was stopped by Newark police, Stephens said.
Officers discovered a weapon that was later determined to have been used in the shooting, Stephens said. Additional evidence including surveillance video tied Couram’s car to the scene, police said. Couram, as well as the other occupants in the vehicle, were subsequently charged with the shooting, Stephens said.
On Dec. 30, 2021, Nelson was shot and killed while sitting in his vehicle on Pomona Avene near the intersection of Aldine Street, Stephens said. Surveillance video showed Couram drove an unknown shooter to and from the location where Nelson was murdered, Stephens said. Further investigation confirmed Couram was the getaway driver, Stephens said.
A jury took five hours to convict Couram, Stephens said. He faces 30 years to life in prison when he is sentenced in January.