Newark man guilty of murder; Victim shot in the face near a large crowd

The shooter was on parole at the time for carjacking. He now faces life in prison, Essex County prosecutors said.

June 17, 2024, 10:55 a.m. EDT

NEWARK, NJ — An Essex County jury found a Newark man guilty of a murder that occurred “in broad daylight among a crowd of people,” prosecutors announced recently.

After a four-day trial, the jury found Eduardo Rodriguez, 35, of Newark, guilty of murder in connection with the death of Christopher G. Griffin, 36, of Newark.

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According to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, Griffin was murdered at 6:52 p.m. on May 5, 2022. The shooting – which was caught on camera – took place in broad daylight amid a crowd of people on the block 300 houses from Mount Prospect Avenue. .

Griffin was shot in the face. He was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

All witnesses fled the scene immediately after the shooting, prosecutors said.

Rodriguez, who was on parole for a previous carjacking at the time of the killing, remains incarcerated at the Essex County Correctional Center in Newark. He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 26 and faces between 30 years and life in prison, authorities said.

Essex County prosecutors thanked the Newark Police Department, the Essex County Sheriff's Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in investigating the shooting.

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