“Unsolved Murders Point to Sloppy Police Work In NJ”

South Jersey has beautiful beaches, a super-active nightlife, and gorgeous landscapes. Notwithstanding the errant spending of tax dollars, New Jersey is a fine example of an upper-middle class state with nearly unlimited resources.
So why are there so many unsolved and questionable murders in South Jersey? With some of the best Law Enforcement and resources on the East Coast, why do so many capital crimes go unsolved?

Why do we have so many botched investigations by various police forces?
Looking into a few of the cases provides a glimpse into when and how the law does not work. Most of these cases have fell by the wayside, and although the families have not stopped searching for answers, it appears that the police have forgotten about the victims in these brutal murders, particularly law enforcement agencies in certain counties .

One such county is Camden, a county that has many unsolved and poorly investigated cases. One of those recent cases is the execution-style murder of Tyrone Coleman and Ryan Tisby.
On February 28th of 2019, police responded to a vehicle idling on Constitution road in Camden, in the Fairview section.

They found Coleman and Tisby shot dead in the car
Since then, family and friends have been critical of the handling of the homicide investigation. They took matters into their own hands on the one-year anniversary of the death of the victims by handing out flyers to try to generate leads in the case, but were told by authorities that it was not permissible to post or pass out flyers downtown. The case remains unsolved.
Last year solve rate for Camden homicides citywide was 55% .
The Fairview neighborhood has seen relatively few of the city's murders in recent years, but five slayings have occurred on or
near Constitution Road.

In May 2016, 24-year-old James Rhodes was fatally shot in an alley
off the 2800 block of North Constitution Road.
Twin brothers Markice and Maurice Harper, both 26, were fatally
shot in a vehicle at South Constitution and Collings roads in
August 2015.

The Tiffany Valiante Case

The Tiffany Valiante case is still unexplained. Her questionable suicide in Galloway Township is up for interpretation. Tiffany was hit by a NJ transit train after a graduation party on July 12 of 2015.
The New Jersey Transit Police Department quickly ruled the incident “a suicide,” but family and friends have from the onset questioned the authenticity of the original investigation. Allegations of a cover-up of the evidence surfaced immediately. The lack of transparency in this case should be demanded by everyone, as our tax monies pay for much of law enforcement's salaries and supplies.

Today's law enforcement agencies use many sophisticated methods and technology to help determine the difference between a homicide, a suicide or an unfortunate accident. No technology or sophistication seem to have been used in this case.

For the family of the 18-year-old star athlete there can be no closure until they get answers to the disturbing questions about their daughter's death.
They have sued to have DNA evidence that was collected by investigators but never analyzed, released or tested. The family recently learned from authorities that it would have to pay for the tests, which could
cost more than $10,000.
Attorney Paul D'Amato, who represents the family, filed a complaint in which the Superior Court of New Jersey is asked to order the Transit Agency to release for testing Tiffany's bloodied ankle bracelet, headband, sneakers, and numerous other personal items recovered at or near the railroad tracks where she was struck.
“We are appealing to the Court to compel N.J. Transit to release all the material evidence in this case for certified scientific testing by a laboratory approved by the state office of Attorney General," said D'Amato.

The Valiantes also noted that Tiffany, whose mangled body was

found partially clothed and barefoot, inexplicably was killed
nearly five miles from the family home, yet her shoes were
located more than a mile from the scene. The shorts she was
wearing that night were never recovered.
"Somebody knows how Tiffany got from our house to the train tracks and we're hoping the reward will motivate one or more people who know something to finally say something," the Valiantes said.

The family wonders about many things such as why did N.J. Transit not follow instructions of the State Police to collect DNA from Tiffany's ankle bracelet .
Joe Kane SJ news