1983 Murder - Ledger - Ex-South Plainfielder pleads guilty in death of Marcus Jones

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Published in the Star-Ledger, Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Guilty plea in 1983 killing
Florida man admits crime in Plainfield

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

BY ROBERT E. MISSECK
Star-Ledger Staff

A 45-year-old Florida man has admitted killing a man in Plainfield 23 years ago.

Domenico Anastario, who was arrested in Longwood, Fla., in December 2004, pleaded guilty Monday before Superior Court Judge Joseph Perfilio in Elizabeth to ag gravated manslaughter in connec tion with the death of 22-year-old Marcus Jones on Nov. 27, 1983.

Anastario was extradited to Elizabeth last year and has been in custody at the Union County Jail since January 2005.

Assistant Prosecutor Rob Rosenthal, who represents the state in the case against Anastario, said the defendant "admitted that he and two friends went to Plainfield that day, tried to buy marijuana and had their money stolen."

He said Anastario told the court they then drove back to his house, took his father's loaded .22-caliber rifle and went back to the same neighborhood looking for the person who robbed them.

They found Jones standing with a group of people on the corner of Clinton Avenue at South Second Street. Anastario opened fire with the rifle. Jones was struck in the heart by one of the bullets, Rosenthal said.

Another man, Charles Gordon, was standing with Jones and was hit in the left ear, face, leg and arm, but survived.

Anastario fled the area and the case remained unsolved, but was revived through the efforts of Plainfield Detectives John Furda and Fernando Sanchez with assistance from Frank Pfeiffer, a former Plainfield detective who now works on cold case files at the prosecutor's office.

Anastario faces a sentence of 13 and half years in state prison. Be cause a firearm was used and the state's Graves Act covering gun crimes applies, there is a minimum period before Anastario can apply for parole, authorities said.

"He probably never thought he would have to pay for what he did," Rosenthal said.

"But no one is above the law, no matter how long it takes for justice to be done," he said.

He was returned to the Union County Jail after his guilty plea to await sentencing on July 21.

"Fortunately in New Jersey there is no statute of limitations on our murder statute," said Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow.

Robert E. Misseck covers Union County. He may be reached at (908) 302-1507 or rmisseck@starledger.com.

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