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Snapped - Season 36 - Episode 12: Jennifer Sweeney
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00:12A mother and daughter narrowly escaped death after becoming the targets of an unknown gunman.
00:19They didn't attempt to take the car. They didn't ask for any money.
00:24I had eight shell casings on the street. I was hoping they weren't hit.
00:30That many times.
00:31I thought, why was somebody going to shoot my daughter?
00:35Their would-be killer is caught on tape.
00:39Video depicted the suspect arrive and flee the scene after the shooting.
00:45This was not a robbery. This was a straight-up execution.
00:51But just as the health of one of the survivors improves, she vanishes.
00:58I was thinking that whoever didn't finish the job, he found her.
01:04The evidence leads detectives to a killer driven by jealousy and obsession.
01:11They were in a dating relationship, but it was not public knowledge.
01:16How come you need to run home?
01:18She didn't want me to.
01:20She loved her so much that she didn't want to see her be with anyone else.
01:25She's the worst of the worst.
01:28We knew what the motive was.
01:30If I can't have you, no one can.
01:48Tuesday, November 24th, 2015.
01:52It's a brisk fall evening in Linden, New Jersey,
01:56when emergency dispatchers receive a panicked call from a young woman.
02:03Hello, 911.
02:05Please put the balance sheet, the fire of balance sheet in.
02:08Can you see now, please?
02:10We just got a shot in the car.
02:13At approximately 7.16 p.m., Linden Central Dispatch,
02:17via police radio, broadcasted that there were shots fired
02:22on the 900 block of Middlesex Street.
02:25We had two victims here, two victims.
02:28The occupants of the vehicle were Tyreta Julius and their daughter Chanel,
02:34who was 15 at the time.
02:36Tyreta Julius was the first victim.
02:39She's in the driver's seat of that car.
02:41She is gravely injured.
02:44She had attempted to drive away from the shooting area
02:47and then subsequently had crashed the car.
02:51Chanel had been hit.
02:53She'd been injured, but not as seriously injured as Tyreta clearly was.
02:58There were significant gunshot injuries to the torso area of Tyreta Julius.
03:02She was in and out of consciousness.
03:05They knew that they needed to get medical attention.
03:10As Tyreta and Chanel are transported to the hospital,
03:14officers scour the scene for evidence
03:16to help them piece together what happened.
03:20I had eight shell casings on the street.
03:23I was hoping she wasn't hit that many times.
03:30One specific neighbor was able to provide information
03:32about seeing a large male walking down the street
03:37and then eventually running back to a silver SUV-type car.
03:44The second witness provided me
03:47with basically the same description.
03:49Large black man, heavy set.
03:53The Linden Police Department canvassed the area
03:55for video surveillance recordings
03:57and they were able to identify a video
03:58which depicted the suspect arrive and flee the scene
04:02after the shooting.
04:04The video I recovered wasn't poor quality.
04:07It was very grainy,
04:08but you could see that it did fit the description
04:11provided by the witnesses.
04:17At this point, we canvassed additional areas.
04:21It's a big world out there.
04:22There's a lot of guys driving a silver vehicle.
04:26As they conclude their initial sweep of the crime scene,
04:30investigators receive news from the hospital.
04:35Tyreta was shot eight times,
04:36both in her chest and in her abdominal area.
04:40Her injuries were significant.
04:42She was ultimately taken into surgery.
04:46Police contact the victim's loved ones
04:49to inform them of the shooting.
04:52My sister called me frantic,
04:56yelling,
04:57you have to get to the hospital.
04:59Tyreta was shot.
05:02Why was somebody able to shoot my daughter?
05:05So I just dropped everything,
05:08grabbed my coat.
05:12Detectives also head to the hospital
05:14to speak with those waiting for news
05:17on Tyreta and Chanel.
05:19It's wildly important
05:21to get information about your victims
05:23to determine what might be the motivating factor
05:26for this type of violence.
05:27A lot of times in these cases,
05:29the victims don't survive.
05:32And so we're left with kind of filling
05:35the gaps and the holes
05:37by talking to, you know,
05:40the next best thing,
05:41the people who are in their lives every day.
05:49Tyreta Julius was born June 6, 1974,
05:52in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
05:55Tyreta's father was not a constant in her life,
05:58so Tyreta's mother raised her
06:00with the help of her family.
06:04I really wasn't a single parent.
06:06I had my mother.
06:07I had my brothers.
06:08I had my sister.
06:10So Tyreta never really wanted for nothing.
06:16From that strong foundation,
06:18Tyreta grew into a confident
06:21and charismatic young woman.
06:24She's very family-oriented,
06:26loved everyone around her,
06:28never really had a bad bone of hate
06:29in her body for anything.
06:31She just always wanted to see
06:32everybody around her succeed
06:33and just be together.
06:36After graduating high school,
06:38Tyreta turned her love of caring for people
06:40into a career.
06:42She was an administrative assistant,
06:46the office administrator
06:47for Rutgers University Hospital.
06:54While making plans for her future,
06:56she fell for a man named Jamar Colbert.
07:00He was basically the opposite of her.
07:02He was very laid-back, low-key.
07:04He wasn't like the party dance type.
07:06You know, he would kind of just chill back
07:08with his shades and his drink.
07:11Tyreta felt like her and Jamar
07:13would be together forever.
07:15And she never mentioned marriage,
07:18but she always talked about Jamar
07:21being her one and only.
07:24They dated about maybe a year
07:28before she got pregnant.
07:30She got pregnant with Dante.
07:33Then a couple years after that,
07:36she got pregnant with Chanel.
07:39She loved the kids more than anything
07:41in this world.
07:42Dante and Chanel were her first worry
07:43about every and anything on this planet.
07:48We were a real tight-knit family
07:50growing up, you know?
07:51My mother's personality was huge,
07:55larger than life.
07:59While Tyreta thrived as a parent,
08:02Jamar struggled with the expectations
08:04of fatherhood,
08:05and it took a toll on their relationship.
08:08They were rocky.
08:10Ultimately,
08:11she just realized that
08:13he just wasn't for her.
08:16It wasn't a good fit.
08:17And they just decided
08:19to end the relationship.
08:22Tyreta never shared
08:23how tough those times were.
08:25She always had a positive outlook
08:27and that there was a better outlook
08:29on the horizon.
08:33She dated after Jamar
08:35and nothing that even compared to him,
08:40but I think, you know,
08:42her kids were such a focus in her life
08:45that dating was just something
08:47that came second.
08:50She put the work in.
08:52She was a service rep at the hospital.
08:56She says,
08:57Mom, I want to get a big house
08:58so all of us can live together.
09:03She was getting her life together financially.
09:06She was just trying to reach that goal.
09:13Now,
09:14everything Tyreta has built
09:16is at risk as she fights for her life.
09:20As Tyreta and her daughter, Chanel,
09:22undergo treatment at the hospital,
09:25detectives focus on their witness interviews
09:27and the viciousness of the attack
09:29to narrow down possible motives.
09:34There's no indication
09:35that the person attempted to take anything.
09:38They didn't attempt to take the car.
09:41In my mind,
09:42this was not a robbery.
09:45This was a straight-up execution.
09:48We wanted to know if Tyreta and Chanel
09:51had any kind of ongoing disputes
09:53with anybody in the neighborhood,
09:54family members,
09:55or anything that could lead us up to the fact
09:57of who would do this to them.
10:02Coming up,
10:04Tyreta's loved ones provide detectives
10:06with some alarming connections.
10:09When I heard she was in a motorcycle club,
10:12I immediately thought motorcycle gang
10:14and thought the worst, right?
10:16And a potential motive is revealed.
10:19They had displayed elements of jealousy
10:23and obsessiveness over Tyreta.
10:26There might be that animosity flowing.
10:4841-year-old Tyreta Julius
10:50and her daughter,
10:5115-year-old Chanel Colbert,
10:53are being treated for injuries
10:55they suffered during a brutal neighborhood shooting.
11:00Investigators at the hospital
11:02check to see if anyone is well enough to talk.
11:10Chanel Colbert, take one marker.
11:19I was grazed on my mouth and on my wrist.
11:23Do you remember how many times
11:25that guy shot you guys?
11:27I believe it was like eight or nine shots.
11:32Did you feel like you was lucky
11:34to only walk away with just a graze?
11:37I felt extremely lucky.
11:39Like,
11:41extremely lucky.
11:49That evening, me and my mom were supposed to go to my brother's basketball game,
11:55which was normal for us.
11:57She had just got off of work.
11:58I was just getting out of school.
12:01She said she was going to go out to pull the car around.
12:04As I was coming out,
12:05that's when I noticed a guy, like, walk around the car.
12:12As I was getting into the vehicle,
12:15I just remember, as I was closing the door,
12:19looking over, and I seen the gun pointed into the window.
12:23I didn't even have a moment to think.
12:27I kind of, like, just went into shock,
12:30and I just remember us trying to take cover.
12:36I didn't realize that I was injured
12:39until I went to call 911.
12:42I was just concerned for my mom.
12:49Investigators leave her to rest
12:51and learn that Tyreta survived her first surgery,
12:54but is still in the ICU on a ventilator
12:57and therefore unable to talk to them.
13:02Detectives turn to Tyreta's loved ones
13:04to find out if she has any enemies
13:06who might wish her harm.
13:09Nothing made sense to me.
13:11Honestly, when I first heard of the event,
13:14I thought it was, like, you know,
13:16just a random act of violence.
13:18Who were going to hurt my mother and my sister?
13:22But they share an unusual detail about her
13:25that catches the attention of detectives.
13:30Tyreta was a member
13:32of the Rough Riders Motorcycle Club.
13:36When I heard she was in a motorcycle club,
13:39I immediately thought motorcycle gang
13:41and thought the worst, right?
13:45Police wonder if her association
13:47with the group led to violence.
13:51But when they locate members
13:53of the Rough Riders to interview,
13:55they find it's not quite what they expected.
14:00Definitely not a bike gang.
14:02But with us, with Rough Riders as a lifestyle,
14:06we're closer to an SC, social clubs.
14:10Not all of our members have bikes,
14:12but they're still part of their lifestyle.
14:15They did things in the community for the community.
14:18They weren't belligerent or violent.
14:23We do book back drives.
14:24We do feeding the homeless,
14:26passing out toiletries and stuff.
14:28You're actually doing something for people
14:29that are in need of it, and you can give it.
14:35The Rough Riders say Tyreta grew especially close
14:39to one member, a woman named Jennifer Sweeney.
14:44Jennifer Sweeney and Tyreta were in a dating relationship.
14:47It was known to the Rough Riders,
14:51known to certain members,
14:53and known to certain friends of Tyreta's,
14:56but it was not public knowledge to her family.
15:00She never told me that they were involved.
15:04Something you just know,
15:06you can just put two and two together.
15:09They said that they had been in a relationship
15:11for upwards of three years,
15:15and, in fact, had started to end
15:18right before this shooting occurred.
15:20As of the date of the shooting,
15:22on November 24th of 2015,
15:24they were actually broken up,
15:26which was kind of the first sign of,
15:29okay, we got to look into this more.
15:32In interviewing a few of the Rough Riders,
15:34it became known to us
15:35that they were at a fundraising event in New Jersey,
15:39and Jennifer was highly upset at this time
15:43because Tyreta was dancing with a man
15:45named Hassan Nicely.
15:49To investigators,
15:51it sounds like a potential motive.
15:55Jennifer Sweeney had displayed
15:57elements of jealousy and obsessiveness over Tyreta.
16:01That's when they're kind of clued into the fact
16:03that there might be that animosity flowing.
16:08The event happened about three days before.
16:12This information in itself is very important to us
16:15because now we're building a little bit of framework
16:17on the events leading up to the shooting.
16:20This possibly could be part of it.
16:42New Jersey investigators are looking for the gunman
16:46that shot Tyreta Julius and her teenage daughter
16:49while they sat in a car outside their home.
16:52They explore the possibility
16:54that Tyreta's relationship with Jennifer Sweeney
16:58led to the attack,
16:59and they dig into Jennifer's life
17:01before she joined the Rough Riders.
17:06Jen was a local girl from Tenton Falls
17:11and comes from a very good family.
17:14Her mother and her grandmother,
17:19both in the education business,
17:20and they were pretty high up.
17:23She lived with her mother.
17:25Her mother was very involved in her life.
17:30Despite that close relationship,
17:33Jennifer didn't follow the family legacy
17:35and become an educator.
17:38Jennifer was a technician for a utility company.
17:41She had a decent job that she was there for
17:43for many years.
17:45She was financially stable.
17:49Her mother and family loved her.
17:51She was generally described as even-keeled.
17:56She's not a person who speaks too much or says too much.
18:01She got educated, intelligent girl.
18:06On the peripheral, she rode motorcycles.
18:10She had some friends that rode motorcycles too.
18:14And some of them would ride with the Rough Riders.
18:20Jen was brought in by a previous member.
18:23She was quiet.
18:25She would keep to herself
18:26until she got to know you.
18:29We had to get her out of her shell a little bit, you know.
18:33But after that, we got to know her,
18:36and she was cool.
18:38You could talk to her and make jokes.
18:45Tyreta's outgoing personality
18:47helped break through Jennifer's shy nature,
18:50and their friendship quickly turned romantic.
18:54And in the beginning, Tyreta,
18:57she enjoyed being around Jen.
18:59They hung out a lot.
19:01So I thought they were just friends,
19:03and then they got close.
19:05Like, okay, now you're besties.
19:08But after that, I found out, like,
19:11oh, you know, okay, cool.
19:14Like, it makes sense now,
19:16because they was close.
19:17They looked great together, you know.
19:20Then she brought a smile on Jennifer's face.
19:22Jennifer made sure she was smiling.
19:27However, friends say Jennifer's dependence
19:30on Tyreta bordered on obsession,
19:32and Tyreta eventually broke things off.
19:37Jen was overprotective.
19:40She was always the one sitting next to Tyreta,
19:43saying, you can't do this, you can't do that.
19:46Tyreta was just tired of the arguments.
19:50Tyreta didn't want to be controlled.
19:52And when Tyreta moved on to a man,
19:56Jennifer did not seem happy about it.
19:59It became known that by August,
20:01she was indeed dating a scene nicely.
20:05So with that, I wanted to now speak
20:08with Jennifer Sweeney.
20:13What the detective was trying to do is figure out, you know,
20:16where she was on the night of the shooting.
20:21She was very calm, noticeably upset,
20:25concerned, and more than willing to help.
20:28She said that she was the only woman that Tyreta had ever been with.
20:34Jennifer did admit that there had been about three days prior to the shooting
20:40that they had not been speaking
20:42or that they had been on a break as she worded it.
20:46She advised me that on the night of the shooting,
20:49she was en route to London because it was a Tuesday
20:51and that was their normal meeting night.
20:55She received a phone call from a fellow club member
20:59who advised that Tyreta was shot.
21:02They detoured and she went right to the hospital.
21:06The timeline puts Jennifer nowhere near the scene of the shooting.
21:11Plus, surveillance video and eyewitness statements
21:14show a male shooter.
21:16So investigators rule her out for the time being.
21:23Ten days after the attack,
21:25there is miraculous news from the hospital.
21:28Tyreta is awake
21:29and is going to survive the shooting.
21:33I was there with the first thing she said
21:36was with my kids, how's Chanel?
21:39It was extremely relieving for me.
21:41That was just the only thing I wanted to hear,
21:43that she made it out and would be okay.
21:49Tyreta is also well enough
21:51to speak with detectives at the hospital.
21:55My initial contact with Tyreta,
21:57she had difficulty breathing,
21:58she was struggling to speak.
22:01So we just went for the basics.
22:03Do you have any problems with anybody?
22:06Tyreta is open about the tensions
22:08in her relationship with Jennifer.
22:11At this time,
22:12she felt that Jen would not have been behind the shooting.
22:16She was just as in the dark as everybody else
22:18about who would have wanted her dead.
22:23As detectives work to formulate new leads,
22:27Tyreta continues her recovery
22:29and Jennifer remains by her side.
22:33Tyreta felt obligated to have Jen there
22:37because she felt like Jen was there
22:39for her throughout the whole ordeal.
22:42I don't know if they were still, like, romantically, like, there,
22:46but she wanted her there, I guess, as a friend.
22:52Jennifer would call and tell us updates on it.
22:57Jennifer may have seemed like she was back.
22:59Her and Tyreta was back together
23:01because of all the stuff she, you know,
23:03Jennifer was doing
23:04with being at the hospital.
23:08Jennifer was showing people pictures
23:10of engagement rings
23:11that she was getting for her.
23:13So without Tyreta's input,
23:16Jennifer decided that they were back together
23:18and told other people
23:19that they were together.
23:2139 days after the incident,
23:24in January,
23:25Tyreta was released from the hospital.
23:27She was in not-pestic condition at this time.
23:31It was decided by her family
23:33that she was going to go stay at her mom's house.
23:37Two months pass
23:38without any progress identifying the shooter.
23:45Then, in March 2016,
23:49three and a half months after Tyreta was first shot,
23:52the case takes an alarming new turn.
23:57But my aunt received a phone call
23:58that my mom was missing.
24:01She had went out
24:02and she did not make it back home.
24:08Coming up,
24:10Tyreta's disappearance
24:11renews efforts to identify her shooter.
24:15When I came home,
24:16she wasn't there.
24:18We know that Tyreta
24:20is not answering her phone.
24:23And a new suspect emerges.
24:27You could see his whole demeanor just changed.
24:29He was,
24:29oh, they got me.
24:47On March 9th, 2016,
24:50Queen Julius,
24:51the mother of shooting victim Tyreta Julius,
24:54contacts investigators.
24:57She says that over the past few months,
25:00Tyreta's recovery had been difficult.
25:04She was very dependent on others.
25:07Her arm was stiff,
25:09and she really couldn't do nothing for herself.
25:14So you had to cook,
25:16feed her,
25:17help her bathe.
25:19Jen was just there as her partner,
25:21you know.
25:22She was playing a role of caring,
25:25being there,
25:27you know,
25:27to help her
25:28with her daily needs.
25:31But now,
25:33Queen is worried
25:34something else
25:35has happened to her daughter.
25:39March the 8th,
25:41I got up,
25:41and I told Tyreta
25:42before I went to work,
25:44I said,
25:44get up and move that arm.
25:46When I came home,
25:47she wasn't there.
25:50So I called Jen,
25:52and I said,
25:52Jen,
25:53is Tyreta with you?
25:54She said,
25:55no,
25:56I dropped her off
25:56at the train station.
25:59She had dropped her off
26:00at the Long Branch train station
26:02at approximately 7.02,
26:047.03 p.m.,
26:05with the means of taking
26:07a 7.17 train
26:08back to Linden.
26:11Then I asked her,
26:12I said,
26:12well,
26:12why would you drop her off
26:14at the train station
26:15if you picked her up from home?
26:16And she said,
26:18well,
26:18she told me to drop her off there.
26:24We,
26:25as an investigator,
26:26we found this kind of odd.
26:29being that she was recently shot
26:31and her shooter
26:33has not yet been apprehended.
26:35I was thinking that
26:37whoever they didn't get
26:39got her.
26:40The person that
26:42didn't finish the job,
26:44he found her.
26:49It was vitally important
26:50to talk to Jennifer Sweeney
26:51because she's the last person
26:53to have seen her.
27:05Jennifer explained that
27:06they ran a few errands
27:07in the evening hours.
27:09Jennifer had driven Tyreta
27:11to the Long Branch train station
27:13to drop her off
27:14so that she could return
27:14home to Linden.
27:18What happened to you
27:18to give her a ride home?
27:19She didn't want me to.
27:22Tyreta insisted
27:23that she be dropped off
27:25as she didn't want
27:25to inconvenience
27:26Jennifer from having
27:28to travel back
27:29to her home.
27:40She indicated that
27:41after dropping Tyreta off
27:42she went to her friend
27:43Donna Hafner's house
27:45in Long Branch.
27:47Donna was not home
27:48at the time
27:48so Jennifer said
27:50she remained there
27:50for approximately one hour
27:52with Donna's husband.
27:54Jennifer was cooperative
27:56and she was committed
27:57to assisting us
27:58in locating Tyreta.
28:01While Jennifer
28:02is not considered
28:03to be a suspect
28:04in Tyreta's disappearance
28:05investigators want
28:07to confirm
28:08the details
28:09of her statement.
28:11We wanted to go back
28:12and search her vehicle
28:14and her house
28:14just to ensure
28:15that everything
28:16that she had told us
28:17was factually accurate.
28:19They were able
28:20to find a receipt
28:22from Ichiban
28:22which showed that
28:23you know
28:24they had been there
28:25they were able
28:25to corroborate
28:27that the two of them
28:27went to the DMV together
28:28because they had video
28:29from inside
28:30and everything
28:31appeared normal.
28:36When detectives
28:38follow up
28:38with Jennifer's friend
28:39Donna Hafner
28:40she confirms
28:42that Jennifer
28:42visited her husband
28:43that evening
28:44but admits
28:45it was very odd.
28:49Jennifer did not
28:50particularly get along
28:51with Donna's husband Jr.
28:55Jennifer ended up
28:55awkwardly sitting
28:56with Donna's husband
28:57for a good amount
28:59of time
28:59before then leaving.
29:03Detectives suspect
29:04Jennifer may have
29:05been trying
29:06to create an alibi
29:07for the night
29:08of Tyreta's disappearance.
29:11Our next efforts
29:13were focused on
29:14reviewing video
29:15surveillance recordings
29:16in an effort
29:17to locate Tyreta
29:19or Jennifer
29:19traveling to
29:21the Long Branch
29:21train station.
29:25The footage
29:27ultimately
29:27makes
29:29extremely clear
29:30that neither
29:31Jen Sweeney
29:32nor Tyreta Julius
29:33was ever there
29:35on March 8th
29:362016.
29:39Being the last person
29:41that saw her alive
29:41and then
29:42having her give
29:44information
29:45that is inconsistent
29:46with known evidence
29:47that's going to
29:49lead them
29:49to be suspicious
29:50of her.
30:08After uncovering
30:10evidence that
30:11Jennifer Sweeney
30:12lied about
30:13the disappearance
30:14of Tyreta Julius,
30:15investigators revisit
30:17the possibility
30:18she was also involved
30:19in the shooting
30:20that took place
30:21four months prior.
30:24We decided
30:25to go to the phones.
30:26Communication data
30:27warrant was prepared
30:28for Jennifer Sweeney's
30:30telephone number.
30:33Records show
30:34Jennifer added
30:35Tyreta to her account
30:37giving her full access
30:38to Tyreta's phone.
30:41She was really
30:42utilizing that
30:43to really stalk
30:44where she was
30:45and who she was
30:45talking to.
30:47One of the numbers
30:48belongs to the man
30:50Tyreta's friend
30:51said Jennifer
30:51became jealous over.
30:54The night before
30:55the shooting
30:56she is constantly
30:57calling
30:58Hassan Nicely's phone
30:59like star six sevening
31:01the number
31:02basically blocking
31:03a number
31:04so that they can't
31:05see who's calling
31:05building herself up
31:07like basically
31:08into a fury
31:09that whole night.
31:12Though he ignored
31:13Jennifer's harassing calls
31:15the same pattern
31:17repeated just before
31:19Tyreta vanished.
31:21February 1st
31:22there was a bevy
31:22of lookups
31:23in these phone finders
31:25and things like that
31:26where she's starting
31:27to do intel.
31:28That leads us to believe
31:30that she was
31:31becoming more
31:32and more jealous
31:33in the days before
31:35both the shooting
31:36and then the disappearance.
31:40However
31:40the most damning
31:42evidence comes
31:43from Jennifer's
31:44GPS data.
31:46Jennifer Sweeney's phone
31:47was accessing
31:48cell phone towers
31:49in the Linden area
31:50the same time
31:52that Tyreta was shot.
31:53This was contrary
31:55to what Jennifer
31:56told
31:58us
31:58when we first
31:59met with her.
32:00The data
32:01showed that
32:02she'd been lying
32:03and she was
32:03at the same tower
32:04at the same time
32:06that Tyreta was.
32:08Not only was
32:09Janet Linden
32:10but she was speaking
32:11to an individual
32:12with a prepaid
32:13cell phone.
32:14She spoke to
32:15this individual
32:1519 times
32:17on the day
32:17of the shooting
32:18and 25 times
32:19the following day.
32:24Investigators
32:25track the prepaid
32:26cell phone
32:27to a user
32:28named
32:28Andre Harris.
32:30We learned
32:31that Jen Sweeney
32:32and Andre Harris
32:33went to high school
32:34together.
32:35They were
32:35friends
32:36for sure.
32:38Somewhat
32:38more recently
32:39they kind of
32:40reconnected
32:40a little bit.
32:43From first glance
32:44he certainly
32:45fits the general
32:47description
32:47of what we were
32:48given for the
32:49shooting.
32:51Andre Harris
32:51is a big guy
32:52and he happened
32:53to drive
32:53a silver vehicle.
32:55They also
32:56were able to
32:56look at
32:57the location
32:58of his cell phone.
33:00Around the time
33:01of the shooting
33:01his phone
33:02is at the
33:03same tower
33:03location
33:04that Jennifer
33:04Sweeney's
33:05is
33:05and that
33:06Tyrated
33:06Julius is.
33:08So that
33:09puts them
33:10all in the
33:10same area
33:11at the same
33:12time
33:12on the night
33:13of the shooting.
33:15We found
33:16that he had
33:17an outstanding
33:17long branch
33:18warrant for
33:19his arrest.
33:20At this
33:20point
33:21a motor
33:22vehicle stop
33:22was effectuated
33:23by a marked
33:24unit
33:24and he was
33:25taken into
33:26custody.
33:28He was
33:29questioned
33:29about his
33:30relationship
33:31if any
33:32with
33:33Tyrated
33:34Julius
33:34as well
33:35as his
33:36relationship
33:36with Jennifer
33:37Sweeney
33:37and he provides
33:38information
33:39that he does
33:39in fact
33:40know Jennifer
33:40Sweeney.
33:41He considers
33:42her to be
33:42an acquaintance
33:43that he's
33:43had for
33:44a long
33:44time.
33:48Andre
33:48claims he
33:49does not
33:50know Tyrated
33:50and denies
33:52the evidence
33:52placing him
33:53near the
33:54scene of
33:54the shooting.
33:55While
33:56interviewing
33:57Andre
33:58there were
33:58search warrants
33:59prepared for
33:59Andre,
34:00his vehicle
34:01and his
34:01residence.
34:02The field
34:03team was
34:03out there.
34:04We received
34:05a phone call
34:06advising that
34:07they had
34:08located human
34:08remains
34:09in the
34:10yard
34:10of Andre's
34:11residence.
34:15Once
34:15myself
34:16and
34:16Detective
34:17Mikolajczyk
34:17were informed
34:18about the
34:19information
34:20and we
34:20were then
34:21able to
34:21confront
34:21Andre
34:22Harris.
34:23You could
34:24see his
34:24whole
34:24demeanor
34:25just
34:25changed.
34:27He was
34:27oh
34:27they got
34:28me.
34:30While
34:30Andre
34:31initially
34:31denied
34:32having any
34:33information
34:33he ultimately
34:34confessed
34:36it was
34:37Tyrated
34:37Julius's
34:37remains
34:38that were
34:38buried
34:38on his
34:39property.
34:43Andre
34:44admits to
34:45being the
34:45gunman in
34:46the shooting
34:47nine months
34:47earlier but
34:49insists Jennifer
34:50is the one
34:51who killed
34:52Tyreta.
34:54He said
34:55on the
34:55evening of
34:55the homicide
34:56Jen appeared
34:58at his door.
34:59She had
34:59called him
34:59shortly before
35:00saying hey
35:01gonna stop
35:02by.
35:03This was
35:03highly unusual
35:04because he
35:06tells me he
35:06tries to keep
35:07his distance
35:07from Jennifer
35:09she asked
35:10him for
35:10a cord
35:11she gives
35:11him
35:11apparently
35:12the
35:12explanation
35:12she's
35:13having
35:13issues
35:13with
35:14her
35:14trunk
35:15so he
35:15supplies
35:16her
35:16with a
35:16white
35:16electrical
35:17cord.
35:18She took
35:19the cord
35:19and went
35:19back to
35:20her vehicle
35:20where she
35:20remained
35:21for several
35:21minutes.
35:23He's wondering
35:23what Jen's
35:24doing out
35:24there.
35:25He exited
35:26his home
35:27and at this
35:28time he
35:29noticed that
35:30Tyreta was
35:30in the
35:30front seat
35:31with an
35:32electrical
35:32cord wrapped
35:33around her
35:33neck.
35:36Jen is now
35:37pointing a
35:37gun at him
35:38demanding he
35:39dig a grave.
35:42The details
35:43Andre provides
35:44are vague
35:45but evidence
35:46from the
35:46grave site
35:47seems to
35:48confirm his
35:49statement.
35:51Tyreta is
35:51found inside
35:52two trash
35:54bags and
35:55the electrical
35:56cord was
35:56still wrapped
35:57around her
35:57neck.
35:59He has
36:00no known
36:01connection or
36:02really anything
36:03to do with
36:04Tyreta Julius
36:05which tells
36:06us that the
36:07motive is
36:08still lying
36:08with Jennifer
36:09Sweeney.
36:13Now we're
36:13thinking why
36:14would Jen
36:15kill Tyreta
36:16in such a
36:16fashion?
36:17Because Jen's
36:19intention was
36:20to propose to
36:21Tyreta.
36:22she also
36:23wanted Tyreta to
36:24move in with
36:25her but Tyreta
36:25wasn't quite
36:26ready for this
36:27yet because she
36:27wasn't healthy.
36:29Maybe what
36:30triggered it this
36:31day was she
36:32did propose or
36:33she did ask
36:35Tyreta to move
36:36in with her but
36:37something occurred
36:39that Jen did a
36:40full 180 on.
36:44Shortly after
36:45this interview
36:46Jennifer was
36:47placed into
36:47custody.
36:48Andre Harris
36:50and Jennifer
36:51Sweeney were
36:51charged with the
36:52murder and
36:54desecration of
36:54human remains of
36:55Tyreta Julius.
37:02When they told us
37:03that they found
37:04Tyreta, I
37:05just, I
37:06just held my
37:07brother.
37:07I just couldn't
37:08even think at that
37:09point in time.
37:09I just felt
37:10numb.
37:13It's hard.
37:16Your child's
37:17supposed to
37:17outlive you.
37:18You're not
37:18supposed to
37:18bury your
37:19child.
37:24Prosecutors
37:25begin preparing
37:26the case for
37:26trial, but
37:28without direct
37:29evidence tying
37:30Jennifer to the
37:31murder, they
37:32know the outcome
37:33is less than
37:34certain.
37:36Even if you
37:37think you have
37:37the strongest
37:38case imaginable,
37:39you never know
37:40what's going to
37:41happen with a
37:41jury.
37:45You're not
37:46going to
37:48You're not
37:49going to
37:49going to
38:00following his
38:01arrest, Andre
38:03Harris, the
38:04confessed shooter
38:05of Tyreta Julius
38:06and Chanel
38:07Colbert, accepts
38:08a plea deal in
38:09exchange for his
38:10testimony against
38:12Jennifer Sweeney.
38:15He pled
38:16guilty to the
38:17attempted murder
38:18of the
38:19Tyreta Julius
38:21and he was
38:23sentenced to
38:2316 years of
38:24New Jersey
38:25State Prison.
38:28Naturally, we
38:29asked Andre, how
38:30did you ever get
38:31involved in this?
38:32He told us that
38:34Jennifer Sweeney
38:35was threatening
38:36his, basically
38:37his life and
38:38his kids.
38:40She would make
38:41mention to him
38:42that she knew
38:43where his kids
38:44were at school
38:45or what they
38:46were doing.
38:48Jennifer just
38:49couldn't
38:51take that.
38:53Tyreta wasn't
38:54happy.
38:54You couldn't
38:55take the
38:55rejection.
38:56She enlisted
38:57Andre Harris
38:58to shoot her
39:00and Jen had to
39:02kind of play her
39:03role as the
39:04caring girlfriend.
39:05I think maybe
39:06even legitimately
39:07Jen tried to
39:09make it work,
39:10work, but
39:11ultimately, you
39:13know, she got
39:13suspicious again
39:14and killed Tyreta
39:15in Andre Harris's
39:16driveway and made
39:18him bury the
39:18body.
39:20He said, I
39:21went along with
39:21it because I had
39:22no choice.
39:23It was either my
39:23people or Tyreta and
39:25I don't know Tyreta.
39:29After multiple
39:30delays, the trial
39:31finally gets
39:32underway in
39:33August 2021.
39:38Prosecutors paint
39:39a picture for the
39:40jury of a woman
39:41driven by jealousy
39:43to commit murder.
39:45We knew what
39:46the motive was.
39:47If I can't have
39:48you, no one
39:49can.
39:51She did plan
39:52on proposing.
39:53She has showed
39:54several of her
39:55friends and
39:55engagement
39:56dreams she
39:56wanted.
39:57But Tyreta
39:59was moving
40:00on.
40:01Jennifer snapped
40:02because she loved
40:03Tyreta so much
40:05that she didn't
40:05want to see her
40:06be with anyone
40:08else.
40:08She was that
40:09jealous and she
40:10couldn't handle
40:12her moving on.
40:19But the defense
40:20argues that the
40:21evidence proves
40:23Jennifer had
40:23nothing to do
40:24with Tyreta's
40:25death.
40:28Andre, we know,
40:30attempted to
40:31murder Tyreta
40:32up in Linden
40:33and then
40:34second time
40:36her body
40:37is dead
40:38in the backyard
40:39of his house
40:41having been
40:42choked to death.
40:46André was
40:47that Andre was
40:50jealous of Tyreta
40:52because he wanted
40:54to have a
40:54relationship with
40:55Jen, so he was
40:57wiping out the
40:58competition.
41:02On September 3rd,
41:042021, the jury
41:06renders its verdict.
41:08Jen Sweeney was
41:09found guilty of
41:10every count of the
41:11indictment except
41:13the attempted
41:13murder charge
41:14against.
41:15As it related to
41:16Chanel Colbert,
41:16was dismissed.
41:21in May 2022, she
41:23is sentenced to
41:2495 years in
41:26prison.
41:29Jennifer's
41:29sentence, I
41:30found fair.
41:31I want her to be
41:32in jail, in
41:33prison, suffering
41:34for the rest of
41:35her life.
41:35She should never
41:36see the light of
41:37day.
41:38She's the worst
41:39of the worst.
41:40I just couldn't
41:41fathom how she
41:42could just sit up
41:44in my house and
41:45look at Tyreta's
41:47face and all the
41:48time, knowing
41:49what you did, the
41:50shooting, and then
41:52plotting this.
42:02My mom was, like,
42:05the glue.
42:06She made sure we
42:07stayed in contact
42:08with each other.
42:10She just set
42:11things up so that
42:13we can be a
42:14family.
42:17My grandmother,
42:18she lost her
42:19daughter.
42:19We lost her
42:20mother.
42:21It's a huge
42:22loss, you know
42:23what I mean?
42:23And all for
42:24what?
42:25For nothing.
42:26For nothing.
42:31My cousin
42:31asked me one
42:33time, well, how
42:35can we get the
42:35or owe you back?
42:38And I told her,
42:39that part is gone.
42:43I don't think that
42:44part is never
42:45coming back.
42:56I'll see you later,
42:59know,
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