The Murder of Brittney Gregory

(Published in the Asbury Park Press 08/30/05)

TOMS RIVER — A medical emergency in the family of the lawyer representing Jack Fuller, the man accused of killing 16-year-old Brittney Gregory last year, caused the judge to postpone Fuller's court appearance Monday.

Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Robert A. Gasser said Fuller's attorney, John O. Goins, had an emergency in his family and could therefore not appear before Superior Court Judge Vincent J. Grasso on Monday morning. As of Monday afternoon, Gasser said the appearance had not been rescheduled.

Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald F. DeLigny said last week that he expected scheduling issues to be discussed.

One thing that must be scheduled before the case goes to trial is a hearing at which Dr. Hydow Park, the Atlantic County medical examiner who performed the autopsy on the Brick teenager, will be asked to discuss his findings. Goins has filed a motion asking Grasso to bar the prosecution from presenting any argument that Gregory may have been strangled or suffocated.

Gregory was reported missing by her family on July 11, 2004. Fuller was arrested seven days later. The victim's body was found 16 days later in a shallow grave under a power line off Ridge Avenue in Lakewood, about 1 1/2 miles from Fuller's home and not far from where Gregory lived with her father.

This story contains information from previous Asbury Park Press stories.

... but the Web Site for the Ocean County Prorsecutor's office can be located at:

http://www.co.ocean.nj.us/prosecutor/main.htm

(Update: At present, the Web Site is a shambles (lots of broken links, and a menu that is not complete), and offers little more than a "brochure" and FAQ of the Department.).

Update 2:

Found Another Site for the Prosecutors Office at:

http://www.oceancountyprosecutor.com/

A little better than the first site listed above. But not much.
(Warning: This site is NOT Firefox friendly at all, it is soley designed to work with IE).

(Published in the Asbury Park Press 08/26/05)

BY KATHLEEN HOPKINS
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

TOMS RIVER — The man accused of killing 16-year-old Brittney Gregory last year is scheduled for a court appearance Monday.

Jack Fuller, 39, of Howell is scheduled to appear before Superior Court Vincent J. Grasso.

"I anticipate scheduling issues will be discussed," said Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald F. DeLigny, who has been assigned to prosecute the case.

One thing that needs to be scheduled before the case goes to trial is a hearing at which the medical examiner who performed the autopsy on the Brick teenager will be asked to discuss his findings.

Fuller's defense attorney, John O. Goins, has filed a motion asking Grasso to bar the prosecution from presenting any argument that Gregory may have been strangled or suffocated.

He argues in the motion that any discussion of strangulation or suffocation should be barred from the trial because Dr. Hydow Park, Atlantic County's medical examiner who performed the autopsy on Gregory, did not provide a cause of death, but instead only said that suffocation or strangulation could not be ruled out.

In response to Goins' motion, DeLigny has argued in court papers that Park ruled the death a homicide but could not specify the exact cause or rule out suffocation or strangulation "based upon the decomposed nature of the victim's body that was in the ground for approximately 16 days."

At pretrial hearings on July 15, Grasso said he could not rule on Goins' motion to exclude discussion of strangulation or suffocation from the case until after a hearing at which Park would testify. Grasso did not schedule a hearing at that time.

However, on that same date, Grasso ruled that there had not been enough pretrial publicity to require moving the case against Fuller out of Ocean County, and that the tape recording of an incriminating conversation — in which Fuller asked a police informant if four feet was deep enough to bury a body — can be used as evidence at the trial.

Gregory, who had just completed her sophomore year at Brick Memorial High School, was reported missing by her family on July 11, 2004. On July 27, 2004, authorities with bloodhounds found Gregory's body in a shallow grave just under a power line off Ridge Avenue in Lakewood, about 1 1/2 miles from Fuller's house and not far from where the victim lived with her father, Joseph Dunn, in Brick.

Fuller was arrested July 18, 2004, before Gregory's body had been found. He was charged with murder in a single-count indictment in February

they did not tack on every conceivable charge against Mr Fuller?

(Or perhaps they did, and it has not been reported yet?)

Some charges I can think of off the top of my head include...

Luring 2C:13-6
Aggravated Criminal Sexual - During Course of a Felony 2C:14-3a [2C:14-2a(3)]
Hindering One's Own Apprehension or Prosecution 2C:29-3b
Disturbing, desecrating, human remains 2C:22-1

(I'm sure I can dig up a few more... mind you I am not an attorney and there may very well be reasons that they are NOT doing it, but I would hit this guy with everything and anything to ensure he stays caged as long as possible.)

Charge (Date of Offense)

Theft by Unlawful Taking/Disposition (April 23, 1999)
Receiving Stolen Property (Aug 8, 1999 )
Theft by Unlawful Taking/Disposition (Sept 17, 1999)
Receiving Stolen Property (Nov 18, 1999)
Theft by Unlawful Taking/Disposition (Nov 18, 1999)
Burglary (Nov 18, 1999)
Parole Violator (UNKNOWN )

Incarceration History
Date in custody
May 5, 2000 through June 18, 2002
Jan 13, 2003 through April 14, 2003 (this shorter one is the Parole Violation)

Source: NJ Dept of Corrections