Richard Busby, 61, formerly of Newark, was found guilty on Sept. 25 of robbery, felony murder and attempted murder involving a July 31, 2011 home invasion robbery and arson in Freehold Township, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.
Busby now faces a sentence of life in prison.
In the early morning hours of July 31, 2011, Busby and his accomplice Jeffery Mayhue broke into the Jackson Mills Road, Freehold Township, home shared by Michael Conway and Cheri Plamondon. Conway and Plamondon were held at gunpoint and bound with zip ties while the intruders searched their home for money, marijuana and other items of value, according to the prosecutor.
During the robbery, Conway broke free and struggled with the intruders. Conway was shot and died. The intruders then set fire to the residence and fled. Plamondon was able to free herself and escape the burning building.
The case was a joint investigation including detectives from the Monmouth County
Prosecutor’s Office and the Freehold Township Police Department. The investigation initially led to the arrest of Mayhue and Busby.
Mayhue previously pled guilty to charges of armed robbery and felony murder, crimes
of the first degree. On Sept. 7, 2016, Mayhue was sentenced to 30 years in prison and must serve 30 years before being eligible for parole, according to the prosecutor.
Subsequent to Mayhue’s plea, charges were signed against additional accomplices: Ellis
Goodson, 41, of Neptune, and Ranu Sinha, 39, of Freehold. Goodson and Sinha have pled guilty to charges related to the Conway case and two other home invasion robberies and are awaiting sentencing, according to the prosecutor.
Busby’s trial began Aug. 28 and ended with the jury’s verdicts. Busby was found guilty of first degree felony murder, first degree attempted murder and second degree robbery. He was found not guilty of unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose and aggravated arson. The trial was conducted before a jury and state Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon, sitting in Freehold.
The charge of felony murder carries a sentence of 30 years to life in prison. The charge of attempted murder ordinarily carries a sentence of between 10 and 20 years in prison. However, based on Busby’s prior criminal record, he faces a potential sentence of life in prison on that crime as well. Sentencing is currently scheduled for Nov. 30, according to the prosecutor’s office.
