November 18, 2022
FREEHOLD – A Monmouth County Jury has returned guilty verdicts on the most serious charges against the man who attacked and killed a stranger in Freehold Township four and a half years ago, solely because of the victim’s race, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Friday.
Following an approximately seven-week trial before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Lourdes Lucas, 30-year-old Jamil Hubbard of Sayreville was convicted of first-degree Murder, first-degree Bias Intimidation, second-degree Eluding, third-degree Theft from the Person, third-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and third-degree Motor Vehicle Theft, all in connection with the death of 56-year-old Jerry Wolkowitz.
At approximately 7:15 a.m. on the morning of Tuesday, May 1, 2018, members of the Freehold Township Police Department and other first responders rushed to the Chesterfield Apartments on Harding Road on a report of a physical altercation involving a person struck by a vehicle. At that location they found Wolkowitz in the apartment complex’s parking lot, having sustained severe injuries to his head, abdomen, and back. Wolkowitz was subsequently rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for emergency treatment.
Missing from the parking lot was Wolkowitz’s vehicle, a Kia Forte, which Hubbard was later found to have stolen. Hubbard then led police on a pursuit, refusing to obey commands to pull over, until it was terminated due to high speeds and out of concern for public safety. Minutes later, the Kia was found abandoned on Bordentown Avenue in Sayreville, and Hubbard was arrested by members of the Sayreville Police Department without incident at his home in the nearby Winding Wood Apartments.
An investigation involving numerous members of the MCPO Major Crimes Bureau, Freehold Township Police Department, and Sayreville Police Department later revealed that Hubbard was in the area that morning because he had slept in his vehicle overnight, having engaged in an argument with his ex-girlfriend, a resident of the apartment complex, the night before. When he woke up, he told investigators, he spotted Wolkowitz walking nearby and decided to try to kill him because he was white, initially attacking him from behind with punches and kicks before stealing his wallet and car keys. He also told investigators he dragged the victim into the parking lot and ran him over.
Wolkowitz, a longtime member of the Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad and a freelance photographer, remained hospitalized in a coma until he died due to his injuries on Thursday, October 18, 2018. A Monmouth County Grand Jury returned a seven-count indictment against Hubbard in March 2019.
Hubbard’s prosecution was handled by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Hoda Soliman and Keri Schaefer, who presented evidence at trial refuting an attempted insanity defense, showing that Hubbard’s conduct was intentional, knowing, and deliberate.
“This was the textbook definition of a senseless crime, and as our prosecuting team astutely noted in their closing argument, ‘senseless’ does not mean ‘insane,’” Acting Prosecutor Santiago said. “Mr. Wolkowitz was an innocent victim, minding his own business and on his way home from work, when his life was snuffed out over something as trivial as the color of his skin. Such a monstrous act necessitates that justice be served, and we sincerely thank the jury in this case for carefully weighing the evidence and reaching the appropriate conclusion.”
Sentencing in the case has been scheduled for March 31, 2023, at which time Hubbard will face a term of up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Hubbard was represented at trial by Allison Friedman, Esq. and Katherine M. Caola, Esq.
Jamil Hubbard of Sayreville (Left) was convicted of first-degree Murder, first-degree Bias Intimidation, second-degree Eluding, third-degree Theft from the Person, third-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and third-degree Motor Vehicle Theft, all in connection with the death of 56-year-old Jerry Wolkowitz (Right).
Retired Robbinsville fire captain Dennis Symons said he first met Wolkowitz sometime in the 1990s when he was working as a freelance photographer for the Allentown Messenger.
“A lot of stories or sports we were covering at the time overlapped so I would be shooting side by side at games and events. Jerry was a really nice guy and we were always talking about the latest equipment or assignments we were covering.”
Read More: NJ journalist dies 6 months after brutal ‘hate crime’ attack |
Obituary of Jerry A. Wolkowitz
Jerry A. Wolkowitz, 56, of Freehold Township died on Thursday, October 18, 2018 at AcuteCare Specialty Hospital at Kimball, Lakewood. He was born in Neptune Township and had resided in Manalapan Township and Freehold for most of his life. Jerry was a member of the Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad for over 25 years and a member of the New Jersey Press Photographers Association. He was a well-known news photographer for local papers for over 30 years. Jerry is survived by his mother, Martha Wolkowitz, his sisters, Judy Marcus and husband Steven Fried, Goldie Markowitz and husband Frank, a brother, Perry Wolkowitz and wife Cindy; six nieces and nephews, Missy (Doug), Dorie (Saras), David (Tina), Rachel, Steven, and Alyssa; and six great nieces and nephews, Adam, Jordan, Kesley, Dylan, Maya, and Ezra; and his fiancé Peggie Zorovich. Funeral services will be held at the Perrineville Jewish Chapel, 755 Perrineville Road, Millstone Township on Friday, October 19, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. followed by interment at the Perrineville Jewish Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Humane Society or the Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad, 18 Spring Street, Freehold, NJ 07728 would be appreciated. Higgins Memorial Home, Freehold is in charge of arrangements.
https://nj1015.com/freehold-hate-crime-case-accused-said-he-wanted-to-kill-old-white-man/
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