Man Accused of 1994 Murder in Bernards Walks Free

After having spent nearly 20 years in prison for the 1994 killing of an Elizabeth woman in Bernards Township, Gerard Richardson, formerly of Elizabeth, left a Somerville courtroom a free man after a Superior Court judge dismissed the murder charges against him, according to a report on NJ.com.

Richardson's 1995 murder conviction was overturned in October after new DNA evidence showed evidence of another man's DNA on a bite mark found on Reyes’ lower back, the report said.

Superior Court Judge Julie Marino dismissed the charges, according to N.J.com. 

The victim, Monica Reyes, 19, who was determined to have died from blows to the head, was found in a ditch along Old Stagecoach Road in Bernards Township on Feb. 25, 1994.

The state’s case against Richardson was argued on the bite mark found on Reyes’ lower back, with the prosecution contending that the bite mark matched Richardson’s teeth, and a defense expert testifying the teeth marks were not a match, according to NJ.com.

According to NJ.com, no DNA evidence was presented at the trial cause Reyes body had been exposed to the winter elements for days, and DNA testing was not as advanced as now.