The two men responsible for an execution-style shooting in Monmouth County that left two teenagers dead now know their fates.

Prosecutors said late last week, 21-year-old Gabriel J. Braithwaite of Keansburg was sentenced to 40 years in state prison while 24-year-old Jeron D. Dearin of Aberdeen received a five-year term.

It was on the night of January 19th, 2022, when police were called to the 1300 block of Washington Avenue in Neptune Township for a report of a shooting.

There, officers found two victims, 18-year-old Samore Edwards of Plainfield and 19-year-old Isaiah Williams of New Brunswick, in a parked vehicle.

Edwards was pronounced dead at the scene while Williams was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

An investigation determined that Dearin drove Braithwaite, his cousin, from Keansburg to the scene of the shooting and back and Braithwaite was the one who pulled the trigger.

The pair was arrested less than a month after the crime.

During a hearing that was held last summer, Braithwaite pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and a related weapons offense while Dearin admitted to second-degree conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.

Emotions Ran High

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said during sentencing, several family members read statements into the record, each recalling "gregarious young adults who were eager to begin pursuing personal goals when their lives were suddenly cut short."

Prosecutor Speaks

Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a statement,

The utterly senseless and callous nature of this crime can’t be overstated – it was an ambush of two unarmed individuals sitting in a car together who had nowhere to escape to and no time to react. While the conclusion of this criminal matter can’t bring them back, we hope it offers the victims’ loved ones some sense of solace and also serves as an unambiguous message to those who contribute to the scourge of gun violence in Monmouth County.

Both men must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences before becoming eligible for parole.