Fuller pleads not guilty to murder charge

(Originally published in the Brick Township Bulletin 03/10/2005)

BY JENNIFER DOME
Staff Writer

BRICK — Jack Fuller Jr., the man authorities believe is responsible for Brittney Gregory’s death, pleaded not guilty to murder during his arraignment before Superior Court Judge Vincent Grasso Friday.

Fuller was indicted by a grand jury for a single count of murder in February. If convicted, Fuller could face 30 years to life in prison.

Brittney’s body was discovered on July 27 after she had been missing for two weeks. Her body was found buried in Lakewood in a 2-foot-deep grave near the Metedeconk River boundary separating Monmouth and Ocean counties. Brittney was 16 years old at the time of her death.

Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Robert A. Gasser, press liaison, said that the prosecutor for the case, Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald DeLigny, provided Fuller’s attorney, John Goins, with “quite a bit” of discovery material. DeLigny said that the prosecutor’s office is waiting for more test results that aren’t expected for another six to eight weeks.

The two parties will meet again on April 25 for a case management conference during which Grasso will want to know if any motions will be filed, Gasser said.

The Capital Case Committee concluded that the Prosecutor’s Office would not seek the death penalty in Fuller’s case, Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher announced on Feb. 9. According to a Feb. 9 press release from Kelaher, the committee “has concluded that it is not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of the existence of at least one statutory aggravating factor and, therefore, the death penalty is unavailable.”

The prosecutor’s office has released no new information about the cause of Brittney’s death. An autopsy proved that Brittney was dead when she was buried and officials have said that asphyxiation has not been ruled out.

Fuller was arrested on July 18, and has been held at Ocean County jail on $1 million bail ever since. Fuller, a Howell resident, has served two prison terms for burglary, theft and other offenses since 2000.

In November, Goins asked Grasso to reduce his client’s bail. The motion was denied after DeLigny presented information that the state police DNA laboratory found Brittney’s blood in Fuller’s vehicle.