GUILTY NJ - Brendan Tevlin, 19, shot to death, West Orange, 25 June 2014

[Indy Anna]

Glad to see an update with more details. TY Blondie!

I noticed the article says Brendan went to the 7-Eleven with 8 friends. Then it says that 3 friends left the house on Florence Place (they returned to after leaving the 7-Eleven) at 11:00 and that there were still 4 friends at the house when Brendan left shortly before midnight. So, one friend is not accounted for. I'm wondering if that remaining friend in the group:
1.) Left after 11:00 PM but before Brendan left
2.) Left at the same time as Brendan. If so, did he travel in the same direction? Did he witness anything/anyone unusual?

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2...n_west_orange_killing_of_college_student.html

<snipped>

Tevlin and his friends returned to the West Orange house on Florence Place, where they had been playing video games and watching the College World Series. Three of the eight left at 11 p.m. due to the provisional-license curfew; when Tevlin departed just before midnight, he left four friends behind at the house, Garguilo said.

 

[volcarm]

Glad to see an update with more details. TY Blondie!

I noticed the article says Brendan went to the 7-Eleven with 8 friends. Then it says that 3 friends left the house on Florence Place (they returned to after leaving the 7-Eleven) at 11:00 and that there were still 4 friends at the house when Brendan left shortly before midnight. So, one friend is not accounted for. I'm wondering if that remaining friend in the group:
1.) Left after 11:00 PM but before Brendan left
2.) Left at the same time as Brendan. If so, did he travel in the same direction? Did he witness anything/anyone unusual?

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2...n_west_orange_killing_of_college_student.html

<snipped>

3 friends left at 11... That left 5 of them...then Brendan left just before midnight leaving 4 at the house... All friends accounted for?

 

[Indy Anna]

3 friends left at 11... That left 5 of them...then Brendan left just before midnight leaving 4 at the house... All friends accounted for?

The article says that Brendan went to the 7-Eleven with 8 friends, which would mean there were 9 altogether. Another possibility is that the other friend went home from the 7-Eleven. I looked for other articles that mention the number of friends who went to the 7-Eleven and friend's house that night, but couldn't find any others. So, don't know if the writer made an error and there were only 8 friends including Brendan. Also, I would think that the friend who lives in the Florence Place house was counted among the 4 friends remaining at the house after Brendan left. That would account for only 7 of the friends besides Brendan. Does that make sense?

Tevlin and a group of eight friends were hanging out that Wednesday night, playing video games at a West Orange house, leaving to get snacks at the 7-Eleven on Valley Street in South Orange...

<snipped>

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2...n_west_orange_killing_of_college_student.html

 

[volcarm]

The article says that Brendan went to the 7-Eleven with 8 friends, which would mean there were 9 altogether. Another possibility is that the other friend went home from the 7-Eleven. I looked for other articles that mention the number of friends who went to the 7-Eleven and friend's house that night, but couldn't find any others. So, don't know if the writer made an error and there were only 8 friends including Brendan. Also, I would think that the friend who lives in the Florence Place house was counted among the 4 friends remaining at the house after Brendan left. That would account for only 7 of the friends besides Brendan. Does that make sense?




http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2...n_west_orange_killing_of_college_student.html

Yes...either it was an error or one of the friends left from the 7 11 like you said...

 

[Indy Anna]

Here's another thing that bothers me:

Both the driver and passenger windows were shattered,

<snipped>
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/06/26/body-found-inside-vehicle-at-west-orange-apartment-building/

Some articles state that both windows on the passenger side were shot out and show photos taken on the passenger side. But, I think all 4 windows were shot out. This suggests Brendan may have been caught in a cross-fire, else there were 2 perps who targeted him from either side. If a car-jacking, they would not be able to use the car with the windows shot out and glass all over the interior. But, one person involved in a shooting may have used the car to get just far enough to safety. JMO

 

[T-Rex]

Check out this link. You can see from the reflection that both driver's side windows are intact.
http://www.fios1news.com/newjersey/n...6#.U7wSBLVOX1I

 

[Indy Anna]

I'm a bit confused about the Jeep's windows. Here's another link that says both the passenger and driver side windows were shattered. It also has a photo of the Jeep from the driver's side:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/cri...red-running-lot-teen-killed-article-1.1849199

<snipped>

Both the passenger&#8217;s and driver&#8217;s side windows of the vehicle were shattered.

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polop...vatives/article_970/jeep1n-4-web.jpg?enlarged

In the image above, it looks to me like the windows on the driver's side are rolled half way down and only the passenger side windows are shattered. I've tried enlarging the picture up to 300% but that just makes it fuzzy. What does everyone else think?

 

[Indy Anna]

Check out this link. You can see from the reflection that both driver's side windows are intact.
http://www.fios1news.com/newjersey/n...6#.U7wSBLVOX1I

Thank you, T-Rex. Yes, in that video it sure looks like the driver's side windows are rolled up and intact. We were both posting around the same time when I posted about the windows appearing to be rolled half way down in a still shot of the Jeep. I did notice in the video at the link in your post, though, that the reporter claimed both the driver and passenger side windows were shattered. ????

 

[curioser]

They are still claiming he was "targeted" but they haven't said why. It obviously wasn't a carjacking. Did he have money on him? Drugs? What was it that made him a target?

 

[momthebomb]

They are still claiming he was "targeted" but they haven't said why. It obviously wasn't a carjacking. Did he have money on him? Drugs? What was it that made him a target?

I agree with what you are saying and felt the same way. But, I got to thinking and now I am wondering; by saying targeted, do they mean this was not a "got caught in a cross fire" type of thing because he was shot so many times, as opposed to "targeted" as in they went out and sought him out personally? I'm not sure they really think he was the intended target from the start. I also do not think this was a carjacking. Or road rage. It's frustrating cause everything I have read, IMO, this was a really good kid who does not seem to have any hidden agendas. Not to mention how everyone thought so very highly of him. Just don't get it

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

I took the "targeted" phrasing to mean it was a personal thing.

moo....

 

[momthebomb]

I took the "targeted" phasing to mean it was a personal thing.

moo....

Yes, I agree with you, but one MS report said he was targeted in the sense that it was not a random shot because of a stray bullet or caught in the crossfire. So, I guess the question is; was he targeted in the sense that someone purposely went looking for BT that night i.e jealous bf, drug deal gone wrong, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time due to a car jacking, robbery etc?

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

Yes, I agree with you, but one MS report said he was targeted in the sense that it was not a random shot because of a stray bullet or caught in the crossfire. So, I guess the question is; was he targeted in the sense that someone purposely went looking for BT that night i.e jealous bf, drug deal gone wrong, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time due to a car jacking, robbery etc?

BBM: I'm taking it as "targeted" in the sense that it was personal; someone purposely went out of their way looking for him.

All moo......

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

http://www.myveronanj.com/2014/07/14/leads-arrests-murder-veronans-nephew/

Leads But No Arrests In Murder Of Veronans&#8217; Nephew

 

[momthebomb]

BBM: I'm taking it as "targeted" in the sense that it was personal; someone purposely went out of their way looking for him.

All moo......

That's a very good possibility. So if that is the case, I guess they will have to dig deep to learn what was going on his life that would make someone want to kill him. So sad. I just cannot imagine.

 

[Indy Anna]

Here it says the crime was labelled "targeted" due to the ferocity of the attack:

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2...n_west_orange_killing_of_college_student.html

<snipped>

Tevlin&#8217;s death was immediately classified as &#8220;targeted,&#8221; due to the ferocity of the attack, said Ambrose, three days after the crime. But detectives maintain there is no threat to the public, even though they haven&#8217;t determined a motive for the homicide, the chief added.

A road rage killing would fit that definition of targeted, but no matter the motive I don't understand how LE can claim there's no public threat. Someone who's displayed such rage as to have violently taken another life is prone to kill again. Whoever he is/they are, he/they need to be stopped and brought to justice!

That's the same article published the other day and, if there were only 8 friends -- including Brendan -- who went to the 7-Eleven, there has been no correction. If another friend left the Florence Place home the same time as Brendan, it would be an important piece of information because he would be a potential witness or, he could be a suspect if LE is suggesting that BT knew his attacker and was personally targeted. JMO

 

[curioser]

Here it says the crime was labelled "targeted" due to the ferocity of the attack:

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2...n_west_orange_killing_of_college_student.html

<snipped>


A road rage killing would fit that definition of targeted, but no matter the motive I don't understand how LE can claim there's no public threat. Someone who's displayed such rage as to have violently taken another life is prone to kill again. Whoever he is/they are, he/they need to be stopped and brought to justice!

That's the same article published the other day and, if there were only 8 friends -- including Brendan -- who went to the 7-Eleven, there has been no correction. If another friend left the Florence Place home the same time as Brendan, it would be an important piece of information because he would be a potential witness or, he could be a suspect if LE is suggesting that BT knew his attacker and was personally targeted. JMO

Right! If he was "targeted" but they don't know the motive, how can they claim no public threat? Until they know why he was a target, I don't see how the public is supposed to feel safe. I guess the lack of other brutal killings is supposed to be some comfort?!

 

[T-Rex]

That part about, "Detectives maintain there is no threat to the public" is the most confusing. I think this line is sort of telling: "Now two weeks later, the investigation is still active &#8211; and leads are being pursued, said Anthony Ambrose, the chief of detectives for the Essex County Prosecutor&#8217;s Office. But no motive has been made public, no suspects have yet been arrested." IOW, they know, they just aren't telling.

Someone on Maplewood Online (local forum) says several people have come forward with info about the people in the security video. http://forum.maplewoodonline.com/discussion/108288/homicide-on-northfield-avenue#Item_69
Early on, a reader on WestOrange.Patch claimed drugs were involved. http://westorange.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/man-found-dead-outside-west-orange-apartment
And a reader posting after this latest NJ.com article says it's curious that Brendan and his friends left during the climax of the College World Series, with a Seton Hall Prep alumnus playing. http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2...n_west_orange_killing_of_college_student.html

I dunno, to me, at this point, the only big mystery is how strongly friends and family are protesting the drug angle--because smoking a little pot, or experimenting a little, is almost a given for a kid his age.

 

[T-Rex]

Although, come to think of it, maybe it's the opposite. If he really was that straight-edged, maybe he had witnessed something, and the perps were afraid.

 

[momthebomb]

I agree with the above comments. LE has to know more than they are making public. Almost from the beginning the were calling it "not random" and that BT was targeted, and they seem to be sticking to that. I really do not know how they can continue to say that unless they have information, that they are not sharing, to back that.