🏈 Youth football coach shot in school parking lot

🏈 Killers get lengthy prison sentences

🏈 Conspirators worked to thwart the investigation


MILLVILLE — Three South Jersey men have received sentences adding up to more than 160 years in state prison for the murder of a youth football coach over six years ago.

They were sentenced in Superior Court in Camden County in connection with the murder of Joseph Jones, 37, in Millville, the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office announced Saturday.

On Aug. 9, 2018, Jones was gunned down around 8:14 p.m. in the parking lot of Lakeside Middle School. He was found inside a car and was pronounced dead within the hour, according to court documents.

Practice had just ended when the coach was shot in the chest 10 times. Over 100 parents and children saw the horrific shooting.

Joseph Jones (Millville Midget Football League via Facebook)
Joseph Jones (Millville Midget Football League via Facebook)
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Coach killers get lengthy prison sentence

This past October, three men including Eugene Cosby, 48, of Malaga; Will El-Bey, 28, of Vineland; and Clifton Bailey, 33, of Camden were found guilty of first-degree murder and other offenses at trial. Their conviction was handed down on Halloween.

For murder, Cobsy was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 63 years and nine months behind bars. Witness tampering got him another five years, which must be served after the first sentence.

El-Bey was sentenced to 40 years in prison with 34 years of parole ineligibility. He got another eight years for bribing witnesses.

Bailey was sentenced to 60 years in prison with 51 years of parole ineligibility. He also got another five years for hindering the investigation.

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Shared in 2018, a photo of a vehicle prosecutors said was involved in the murder of Joseph Jones (Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office)
Shared in 2018, a photo of a vehicle prosecutors said was involved in the murder of Joseph Jones (Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office)
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Conspirators tried to thwart detectives

Prosecutors said the trio drove from an apartment complex in Vineland to the middle school to carry out the targeted killing.

As they fled the scene heading north on Route 55, they shot at police. Officers did not fire back.

Three other people were arrested and pleaded guilty to trying to obstruct the investigation.

In 2018, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae wrote she was "deeply moved and shocked" by the killing in a piece published on nj1015.com.

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