Irvington man convicted of murder by Essex County jury

NEWARK, NJ — An Essex County jury has convicted Harold Colbert, 45, of Irvington, of murder for fatally shooting Daquan Cuttino, 25, of Newark, according to an Aug. 9 press release from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Following a trial before Superior Court Judge Martin Cronin, Colbert was found guilty of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of weapon for an unlawful purpose.

On Nov. 1, 2018, Cuttino was shot in the 600 block of South 18th Street in Newark. The defendant and the victim, who knew one another, had started out having what appeared to be a friendly conversation; they ended up in a fight and the defendant eventually pulled out a gun and shot at Cuttino 11 times. He was hit with eight bullets.

Cuttino was transported to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced dead that same day.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Oct. 1. Colbert faces a minimum of 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole. The state will seek the maximum penalty based upon his prior record of violence and drug dealing.

Colbert was previously convicted of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school; on March 24, 1995, he was sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison for those offenses. On Dec. 17, 1999, he was sentenced to five years again after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose; for those crimes he had to serve 85 percent of his sentence without the possibility of parole under the No Early Release Act.

“The Prosecutor’s Office expresses its deepest thanks and appreciation to jurors who were willing to serve during these unusual and difficult times,’’ said Assistant Prosecutor Frederick Elflein, who tried the case. Elflein noted that this was the first jury trial in Essex County since March 2020.

  Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Homicide