Federal and local law enforcement authorities have taken a Camden, New Jersey man into custody in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred in Hamden, Connecticut, in 2021, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Curtis Cole, 47, was arrested by regional fugitive teams following an extensive investigation into the June 2021 homicide of 38-year-old Jonquay Morrison.
The arrest brings a development to a case that originated in the summer of 2021. Law enforcement officials tracked Cole across state lines into New Jersey, where local fugitive task forces located and apprehended him on Wednesday. He is currently being held on a $3 million bond while awaiting extradition proceedings to face multiple charges in Connecticut.
The case began on June 6, 2021, when officers with the Hamden Police Department responded to reports of gunfire near 20 Hamden Park Drive, according to federal law enforcement statements. Upon arrival, responding officers discovered Morrison with gunshot wounds. He later died.
Following the initial response, investigators from the Hamden Police Department launched an investigation into the shooting. That investigative work resulted in an arrest warrant being issued for Cole on July 23, according to records released by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Apprehension in New Jersey by Regional Task Forces
The breakthrough in locating the fugitive came through collaborative intelligence sharing between federal task forces in different states. The Connecticut U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force developed information indicating that Cole was in New Jersey.
Investigators in Connecticut transmitted a collateral lead to the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force. Operating on that tip, task force members located and arrested Cole in Camden, New Jersey, on Wednesday.
Because the suspect was apprehended outside the jurisdiction where the crime allegedly took place, standard interstate legal procedures apply. Cole is currently detained in New Jersey on a $3 million bond pending extradition to return him to Connecticut for court proceedings.
Facing Multiple Felony Charges
Cole faces a package of counts filed in connection with the 2021 incident. According to law enforcement filings, he has been formally charged with murder, illegal discharge of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, and criminal possession of a pistol or revolver.
Next Legal Steps and Extradition Proceedings
With Cole now secured in custody in New Jersey, the immediate procedural hurdle involves finalizing his transfer back to Connecticut. Extradition hearings will determine the timeline for moving the 47-year-old suspect across state lines to face arraignment in a Connecticut court.
Official updates regarding his extradition date, initial court appearance, and subsequent bond hearings are expected to be released by the Connecticut judicial branch once he is transferred into state custody. Members of the public with additional information regarding the 2021 investigation are encouraged to contact local law enforcement agencies or the U.S. Marshals Service.
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