Man Indicted in Connection with Fatal Shooting in Jefferson Township

Published on December 31, 2019

December 31, 2019

Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Morris County Prosecutor's Office Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker, and Jefferson Township Police Chief Sean Conrad announce that John Formisano, age 49, formerly of Jefferson Township, New Jersey, has been indicted on charges related to a fatal shooting that occurred on July 14, 2019, in Jefferson Township.

On December 30, 2019, an indictment was returned by a Morris County grand jury charging Formisano with a number of offenses, including first degree Murder, first degree Attempted Murder, two (2) counts of second degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, second degree Official Misconduct, two (2) counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and third degree Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution.

The charges in the indictment are related to an incident that occurred on July 14, 2019 in Jefferson Township. At approximately 11:21 p.m., members of the Jefferson Township Police Department were dispatched to 1 Mirror Place for 911 calls of shots fired. Upon arrival, first responding officers located a deceased woman's body lying on the front porch steps of 5 Mirror Place. The deceased woman was subsequently identified as Christie Formisano, age 37, of Jefferson Township, New Jersey. A second victim, a male age 40, was located with multiple gunshot wounds inside the residence of 1 Mirror Place.

At approximately 2 a.m., the defendant, John Formisano, was located in a parking lot in Livingston, New Jersey, and was taken into custody by law enforcement. The firearm believed to be used by the defendant was also recovered in Livingston. The defendant, a lieutenant with the Newark Police Department, was off-duty at the time of the incident.

If anyone has any information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to call the Major Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office at 973-285-6200, or the Jefferson Township Police Department at 973-697-1300.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Any inquiries can be directed to Morris County Prosecutor's Office Public Information Officer Meghan Knab at 973-829-8159 or mknab@co.morris.nj.us.