3 sentenced in NJ killing aimed at witness

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) - December 2, 2009

A judge in Ocean County Tuesday ordered James Russell to serve life without parole under the state's "Three Strikes Law."

Lee Reeves and Jamell Scott must serve nearly 64 years before they'll be eligible for parole.

Athelma Vazquez was gunned down in 2008 in her Lakewood apartment hours before Russell, Scott and a third man were to stand trial for a gang-related slaying in a barbershop.

Prosecutors believe Vazquez was an innocent bystander and the intended target was her daughter's boyfriend, Christian Granados.

Granados testified at the trial and the defendants were convicted.

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Information from: Asbury Park Press, http://www.app.com

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