State inmate charged with killing cellmate at youth correctional facility
An autopsy by the Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Johns died from severe internal trauma to the neck and throat area and ruled the death a homicide.
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A Newark man incarcerated at the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility has been charged with killing his cellmate, Burlington County prosecutors said.
The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office said 22-year-old Xavier Cepin was charged May 22 with murder in the death of 28-year-old Shayne Johns of Mount Ephraim.
Authorities said the investigation began April 18 when a correctional officer found Johns lying on the floor of a shared cell during an inmate count. Johns was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, where he later died.
An autopsy by the Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Johns died from severe internal trauma to the neck and throat area and ruled the death a homicide.
A first court appearance for Cepin is expected to be scheduled in Superior Court in Mount Holly. Prosecutors said the case will then be presented to a grand jury for possible indictment.
According to a New Jersey Department of Corrections report released earlier this year, the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility houses just over 1,000 offenders, with nearly 80% of inmates younger than 28 years old.
