79-Year-Old East Hanover Man Sentenced To Prison For The Murder Of His Wife During Domestic Dispute

Saturday, July 13, 2024, 6:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

EAST HANOVER, NJ.- Yesterday, a 79-year-old East Hanover, New Jersey man appeared in Morris County Superior Court and was sentenced to state prison in connection with the March 2020 shooting death of his 71-year-old wife inside their East Hanover residence.

     According to Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, on Friday, July 12, 2024, Alexander Jacobs, 79, of East Hanover, New Jersey, appeared in court and was sentenced by the Honorable Stephen Taylor, J.S.C., to a term of fifteen years in New Jersey State Prison subject to the No Early Release Act, which will require Jacobs to serve 85% of his custodial term before becoming eligible for parole. 

     Jacobs had previously entered into a plea agreement with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree Aggravated Manslaughter on March 31, 2024.

     The guilty plea and the sentence stem from an incident that began on March 26, 2020, when, at approximately 2:02 p.m., members of the East Hanover Police Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call at a residence located on Selmar Terrace in East Hanover.

     Upon arrival, Police Officers encountered the 911 Caller outside the residence and were informed that a domestic incident had occurred inside the home involving a handgun. Upon entering the home, Police Officers discovered the lifeless body of Lilia Jacobs, 71, of East Hanover, deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. 

     During the initial investigation, Jacobs admitted to Police Officers that during a domestic dispute, he shot his wife in the head with a .380 caliber handgun, which killed her instantly.

     Jacobs was taken into custody and has remained at the Morris County Correctional Facility since his arrest. Following yesterday’s sentence, he will be transferred to the New Jersey State Department of Corrections to serve the remainder of his sentence.