Prosecutors Say Victim Was Shot Multiple Times After Escaping Moving Vehicle

Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 11:30 A.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

GIBBSBORO, NJ.- A Camden County jury has convicted a Lindenwold man of kidnapping and attempting to murder his girlfriend in a violent 2024 incident that prosecutors say began inside a moving vehicle and ended in a shooting along a South Jersey roadway.

     Akeem B. Morton, 33, of Lindenwold, New Jersey, was found guilty on March 13, 2026, following a two-week trial in Camden County Superior Court, according to an announcement from Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay.

     The jury returned guilty verdicts on multiple charges, including first-degree Kidnapping and first-degree Attempted Murder. Morton was also convicted of second-degree Aggravated Assault, second-degree Certain Persons Not to have Weapons, second-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, second-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, third-degree Witness Tampering, and fourth-degree Aggravated Assault.

Incident Details;

     The charges stem from a December 15, 2024, shooting in Gibbsboro, New Jersey.

     According to investigators, officers from the Gibbsboro Police Department were dispatched to the intersection of Clementon Road and Haddon Avenue after receiving reports of gunfire. Upon arrival, officers located blood and multiple shell casings at the scene, but no victim.

     Authorities were later notified that the victim had been transported to Jefferson Stratford Hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds.

     A subsequent investigation by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office determined that Morton and the victim had been involved in an argument while inside a vehicle. Prosecutors said Morton refused to allow the victim to exit the car and drove away.

     At some point during the incident, the victim escaped by jumping out of the moving vehicle.

     Investigators testified that Morton then shot the victim multiple times before placing her back into the vehicle and transporting her to the hospital.

     Morton was taken into custody at the hospital and later remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility, where he has remained pending trial.

Trial And Prosecution;

     The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutors Brenden Carol and Patricia Manteiga of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.

     The investigation was led by Detective William DeFoney and Detective Alfred Higginbotham III, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Gibbsboro Police Department, Stratford Police Department, Voorhees Township Police Department, and Lindenwold Police Department.

     Additional support during trial proceedings was provided by Detective Kaitlin Sell and Detective Tyrell Powell.

Sentencing Outlook;

     Morton is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2026.

     Prosecutors stated he faces a mandatory life sentence under New Jersey’s Persistent Offender statute, which allows enhanced penalties for individuals with qualifying prior convictions.

Editor’s Note:

This report was written by Art Fletcher and is based on official statements released by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and information presented during court proceedings. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law; however, this case has resulted in a jury conviction. Sentencing outcomes remain subject to judicial review and may be influenced by statutory requirements and prior criminal history.