New charges have now been issued against an 18-year-old Camden man already jailed for a fatal casino carjacking in Atlantic City last month.
The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Raheem Simmons was charged Thursday for the shooting deaths of Antwan Brown and Travon Kinard, earlier this year. He will now go before a Superior Court judge in Camden Friday in connection with the murders.
Investigators reportedly connected Simmons to the crime through a cell phone found at the scene. He allegedly sent messages about the Camden shootings to an accomplice--20-year-old Phillip Byrd--in the casino murders.
Despite the cell phone evidence, the Inquirer says charges weren’t brought against Simmons until a witness later came forward and told investigators that Simmons admitted to killing Brown and Kinard.
It is not yet known if Byrd also will be charged for their murders.
Simmons, Byrd and a third man, 20-year-old Eric Darden, have already been arrested and charged with murder for the September death of an Old Bridge man. Police say Sunil Rattu, 28, and his girlfriend--24-year-old Radha Ghetia -- were in Atlantic City to celebrate their recent graduation when they were carjacked and shot in the parking garage at the Trump Taj Mahal. Rattu died from a gunshot wound to the head. Ghetia reportedly survived a shot to her upper body.
All three suspects are being held at $1 million each.
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This latest incident at the Trump Taj Mahal was the second fatal abduction inside the casino’s garage. Last year, a North Bergen man was kidnapped and fatally stabbed. The suspects in that case are now awaiting trial.
