Four men charged in the fatal carjacking of a young lawyer outside an upscale New Jersey mall last year have been indicted on felony murder charges.
The suspects also face murder, carjacking, conspiracy and weapons charges in the six-count indictment handed up by an Essex County grand jury. It was made public on Monday afternoon. All four have previously pleaded not guilty in the case.
Hanif Thompson, of Irvington, and Newark residents Karif Ford, Basim Henry and Kevin Roberts are accused in the Dec. 15 carjacking and killing of Dustin Friedland outside The Mall at Short Hills.
Authorities have said Friedland, a 30-year-old lawyer from Hoboken, was killed while returning to his car in the mall parking garage with his wife, Jamie Schare Friedland, after a shopping trip. The carjackers confronted the couple and Friedland was shot in the head, but his wife was unharmed.
The assailants drove off in the couple's silver Range Rover, which was found the next morning in Newark, about 10 miles from Short Hills. Prosecutors have said the couple was targeted solely because of the make of their vehicle.
Jamie Schare Friedland filed a wrongful death lawsuit earlier this year, seeking unspecified damages. The suit claims the mall owners reduced security to increase profits and first responders mishandled a call for help, allegations those parties deny.
