An Orange man has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2018 fatal stabbing of his ex-girlfriend.
Following a six-day trial, an Essex County jury found Ahigjah Broomes, 29, guilty of first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
The prosecution proved Broomes stalked 20-year-old Akirah Townes of Orange four months after she ended their relationship.
Townes, a Kean University student, was standing with friends on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair preparing to depart for Virginia Beach when Broomes approached her armed with a knife and stabbed her multiple times. Despite Townes' attempts to escape and her friends' efforts to intervene, Broomes fled the scene.
Townes was transported to St. Joseph's Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
"The Townes family has waited eight long years for justice for Akirah. This verdict delivers that justice," Chief Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Simonetti said. "We hope it provides the family with some measure of closure."
Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Laprade characterized the killing as an "abhorrent act of domestic violence," thanking the jury for holding Broomes fully accountable.
Broomes is scheduled for sentencing on June 29. He faces a minimum sentence of 30 years to life in state prison.
