DNA, Fingerprints Put 16-Year-Old Behind Wheel in Deadly Mays Landing Crash, Prosecutors Say

MAYS LANDING, N.J. — Blood recovered from the steering-wheel airbag, driver's-side airbag and windshield — along with fingerprints found on the steering wheel — led investigators to identify a 16-year-old Atlantic City boy as the alleged driver of a stolen Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon involved in a head-on crash that killed two Egg Harbor Township residents, authorities said.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office has charged the juvenile, identified only as J.D. because of his age, with three counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and second-degree leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death.

The charges represent a major development in the investigation into the Aug. 22 crash at Route 50 and Third Street in Mays Landing that killed Robert Barr Jr., 54, and Alice Stilwell, 67, both of Egg Harbor Township.

The couple had been together for more than 20 years.

Forensic Evidence Points to Driver

Investigators initially faced the question of determining which occupant of the stolen SUV was behind the wheel.

According to prosecutors, investigators obtained search warrants for a DNA sample from J.D. and for the Mercedes. As part of their examination, investigators removed airbags, collected a portion of the windshield directly in front of the driver's seat and processed the steering wheel for fingerprints.

The results, authorities say, placed J.D. in the driver's position.

His blood was identified on the steering-wheel airbag, driver's-side curtain airbag and a windshield sample taken from directly in front of the driver's seat, according to prosecutors.

Latent fingerprints recovered from the steering wheel also matched J.D., authorities said.

Stolen G-Wagon First Spotted Hours Earlier

The fatal crash came after a series of encounters with police that began hours earlier.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, reportedly valued at approximately $220,000, had been stolen from a Longport resident.

Longport police encountered the vehicle at approximately 3:40 a.m. Aug. 22 and attempted to stop it, according to authorities and court records cited in published reports. The SUV fled.

Police subsequently contacted the vehicle's owner, confirmed it had been stolen and alerted other law enforcement agencies.

Approximately four hours later, Hamilton Township police spotted the G-Wagon and attempted another traffic stop.

The vehicle again fled, authorities said.

Police lost sight of the Mercedes, and minutes later the SUV crossed into opposing traffic on Route 50 and slammed head-on into the vehicle occupied by Barr and Stilwell.

Both were killed.

Surveillance video captured the collision, according to authorities.

The occupants of the Mercedes allegedly attempted to flee on foot following the crash before being apprehended.

Adult Suspect Ordered Detained

The new forensic evidence has also changed the case against Nayshaun Brown, 18, of Atlantic City, the only adult among four people charged in connection with the incident.

Brown initially faced charges that included aggravated assault, joyriding and eluding, but prosecutors agreed to withdraw several of those charges after the forensic investigation allegedly established that the 16-year-old was driving.

Brown remains charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle and employing a juvenile in the commission of a crime.

At a detention hearing Thursday, Chief Assistant Atlantic County Prosecutor Seth Levy argued that Brown still played a role in the events that ended with two people dead.

“While not the driver in this case, the conspiracy that he engaged in with the other people led to the death of two innocent victims,” Levy said, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.

Brown's attorney, Alex Settle, disputed that characterization, arguing that his client had been picked up by the others, was merely getting a ride home and was asleep when the crash occurred.

“He was picked up by these individuals,” Settle said. “There's no information here that he was there when this vehicle was stolen. He had no knowledge that it was stolen.”

Superior Court Judge Ralph Paolone ordered Brown detained pending trial.

Prosecutors also told the court that Brown had refused to provide investigators with the password to his cellphone after authorities obtained a warrant to search it. Paolone ordered Brown to provide the password.

The charges against Brown and the juvenile are accusations. They are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Couple Remembered in Egg Harbor Township

The crash claimed the lives of two longtime Egg Harbor Township residents whose deaths reverberated through the community.

Barr was a father of three who worked as a school bus driver for the Egg Harbor Township School District.

Following his death, Superintendent Kimberly Gruccio described Barr as a dedicated member of the district's transportation department who was known for his commitment to student safety.

“He's known for his commitment to safety and the care for students,” Gruccio said.

Stilwell was a hairdresser, mother of four daughters and grandmother.

Published obituaries and reports described Barr and Stilwell as longtime partners who had spent more than two decades together and enjoyed cooking, gardening, visiting farmers markets and spending time together.

Attorney General Investigating Circumstances

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office is also investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash because it occurred following an encounter with law enforcement.

State law requires the Attorney General's Office to investigate certain deaths that occur during encounters with law enforcement officers acting in their official capacities.

Authorities have said Hamilton Township police attempted to stop the stolen Mercedes but lost sight of the vehicle before the fatal collision.

The investigation into the crash and the events leading up to it remains ongoing.