Rahway Man Sentenced For November 2022 Shooting Death
Thursday, September 18, 2025, 7:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
RAHWAY, NJ.- Earlier this month, a 34-year-old Rahway, New Jersey, man was sentenced to New Jersey State Prison in connection with his June 27, 2025, guilty plea for the shooting death of a 44-year-old Roselle, New Jersey, man that occurred in November of 2022, in Rahway, New Jersey.
According to Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, on Friday, September 5, 2025, Brandan Melford, 34, of Rahway, New Jersey, appeared in Union County Superior Court and was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Christopher Struben to 25 years in State Prison, subject to the No Early Release Act, which will require Melford to serve 85% of his custodial term before becoming eligible for parole.
On June 27, 2025, Melford appeared before Judge Struben and pleaded guilty to first-degree Aggravated Manslaughter for the fatal shooting of Jack Harris, 44, of Roselle, New Jersey.
Melford’s guilty plea and sentence are the result of a shooting incident that began on November 12, 2022, when members of the Rahway Police Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting a shooting on the 1400 Block of Witherspoon Street in Rahway. Upon arrival, Police Officers found Mr. Harris unresponsive, having succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds. Mr. Harris was subsequently pronounced deceased at the scene. A subsequent investigation by Detectives of the Union County Homicide Task Force and the Rahway Police Department was able to identify Melford as the suspect and the individual responsible for the fatal shooting of Mr. Harris.
Prosecutor Daniel Provides Statement On The Sentencing
“I hope this sentence can provide some assurance to the victim and his family, as well as the community, that we will not tolerate these egregious offenses and will expand all of our efforts to bring offenders to justice,” said Union County Prosecutor Daniel. “I want to commend Union Police Detective Patrick Bradley, who was on loan to the Union County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force, and Rahway Detective Sidra Colvin for their dedicated work throughout this case.”
