‘ Pure evil’: NJ man gets 375 years for killing 2 kids, woman

A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 375 years in jail for a 2016 spree that saw him kill one woman and two children over a Facebook post. The judge called his crimes “the most horrific, heinous, cruel and depraved murders,” according to public court records.

Jeremy Arrington, 32, was convicted last month on three counts of murder, attempted murder, burglary, criminal restraint and weapons charges. Jurors in Essex County Superior Court in Newark, New Jersey, deliberated for less than two hours after it was determined he tied up nine people before torturing and mutilating them.

Judge Ronald Wigler imposed three consecutive life terms – the maximum sentence – to Arrington on Friday, making eligibility for parole 281 years away. Essex County Deputy Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab labeled Arrington’s acts as “pure evil.”

According to prosecutors, Arrington entered a Newark home in November 2016 and stabbed an 8- year- old girl and 11- year- old boy to death, then shot a 23- year- old college student visiting the family. The murdered children’s mother, a 29- year- old woman, was wounded. The woman’s 13- year- old brother and 13- year- old sister also were wounded.

Authorities noted in the initial police report that Arrington became enraged with the family after one of the victims reposted a Facebook alert of police naming him a suspect of an earlier shooting and sexual assault.

At his trial, Arrington did not take the stand but read a short statement expressing remorse to the victims and apologizing to the families. According to NJ. com, he said he’d switch places with the victims if he could, labeling his actions as “craziness.”