The victim's widow Alka Sinha released a statement saying 'My family and I are confident that in his death, the five assailants will be brought to justice'
Instead, shortly before 2 p.m. Friday, Cash Johnson and Christopher Conway, both 17, pleaded not guilty to taking part with three others in the killing of a computer scientist outside his home in Old Bridge in June.
Because of an overflow of family and friends in the small courtroom in New Brunswick, three separate hearings were needed for the the five teenage defendants to enter pleas in the beating death of Divyendu Sinha, 49.
In the morning, Julian Daley, 16, pleaded not guilty. In the afternoon, following Johnson and Conway, Steven Contreras, 17, and Christian Tinli, who turned 18 this month, entered not guilty pleas.
It was the first appearance in Superior Court for the five Old Bridge High School students, four of whom are on athletic teams, since being charged as adults. Daley, Johnson and Conway are all out on bail, while Contreras and Tinli are being held in lieu of bail at the Middlesex County Youth Detention Center in North Brunswick.
After the short hearings, in the hallway outside the courtroom, the victim’s widow, Alka Sinha, released a typewritten statement to the media. It was her first public comment since the night her husband, and their two sons were attacked after taking a late-night walk. Alka Sinha, who was with her family at the time, was not harmed.
“My children seem to have recovered physically from the blows they received,” the statement read, “but emotionally they are forever scarred. The last image of my loving husband and children's father being beaten will forever be imprinted in our memory of him."
Divyendu Sinha, 49, of Old Bridge, died after being attacked outside his home and five teens have been charged in his killing. Alka Sinha and one son, accompanied by neighbors and friends, attended all three hearings Friday.
Declining to speak directly to reporters, Sinha’s statement also said, “we have full faith in the justice system and are now looking forward to a speedy trial... My husband would always say, ‘No one is above the law.’ My family and I are confident that in his death, the five assailants will be brought to justice.”
None of the families of the defendants spoke to reporters, and only one defense lawyer.
“On behalf of the Daley family, we extend our deepest sympathy to the Sinha family,” said Daley’s attorney Mitchell Ansell. “The Daley family cannot imagine the grief and pain they are experiencing.”
The Sinha family was walking outside their home on Fela Drive the night of June 25 when a car pulled up, three teenagers got out and attacked Sinha and his two sons, prosecutors said.
In a statement to police, Alka Sinha said there were four assailants, but authorities say only three were involved in the actual assault.
The sons suffered minor injuries and Sinha, a computer scientist and professor, was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick with head injuries. He died four days later.
Within hours of the assault, two of the teenagers were arrested and by the end of the weekend another one had also been charged. The last two were arrested days later.
All five were charged in Family Court with the equivalent of murder, but the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office moved to have them tried as adults and all face 30 years to life in prison.
After the hearings, Ansell, Julian Daley’s defense attorney, said “our position is that Julian is not responsible for Mr. Sinha’s death. We’re confident when the proofs and facts of the case are made public, it will support that contention.”
According to the bail conditions for Conway, Daley and Johnson, the defendants are prohibited from attending school or any school function and must remain under house arrest between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz entered the pleas of all five defendants and set Dec. 6 as the next court date. Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Kuberiet said he expects to present the case to a grand jury in six weeks.