Diquan “Gudda” Speights Charged with Jamar Small’s Murder

Diquan Speights was charged with the murder of Jamar Small. photo via facebook

An Asbury Park man who had been charged with Attempted Murder in 2014 was charged today with the December 20, 2015 shooting, murder and attempted murder in the 1000 block on Summerfield Avenue in Asbury Park. The announcement by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office did not name the victims of today’s charges, but the time line and location match up with the murder of Jamar Small and the attempted murder of his brother.

A law enforcement official confirmed that today’s charges are for the Small murder.

Small was a standout football player who graduated from Asbury Park High School in 2010 and from Texas Southern University last year. He was the quarterback of the Texan Southern Tigers. He returned to his home city to give back and mentor Asbury Park youth.

Diquan “Gudda” Speights, 23, was charged with first degree Murder, first degree Attempted Murder, second degree Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, second degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and second degree Certain Persons Not to Possess Weapons. At the time Speights was charged, he was already being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution on charges related to an incident earlier on the same day of the shootings, according to an announcement by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Charles Webster, spokesperson for the Prosecutor’s Office, told MoreMonmouthMusings that Speights pleaded guilty to burglary in the October 2014 incident in which he was charged with the Attempted Murder of a 22 Neptune Township female gunshot victim. He received probation for the burglary and was released, having served 364 days in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.

Speights was arrested on December 20, 2015, the day of the Small murder, and charged with threatening a 30 year-old Asbury Park female, a relative of the Small brothers, with a handgun, minutes prior to the shooting that killed Jamal. He was charged with Aggravated Assault by Pointing a Firearm, Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Tampering with Evidence, and Certain Persons not to Possess Weapons. He was held in custody at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in lieu of $400,000 cash only bail, as set by the Honorable Honora O’Brien Kilgallen, J.S.C.

Jamar Small

During the course of a two month investigation, Asbury Park Police and Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office investigators determined that Speight shot the Small brothers while they were inside of a car, backing out of a driveway on Summerfield Avenue.

Speights’ arrest today did not close the investigation. Investigators believe that other witnesses may exist who have not yet come forward that may have relevant information concerning the events leading up to the shooting as well as the shooting itself.

Anyone with information about this shooting is urged to call Detective Adam Mendes of the Prosecutor’s Office at 1-800-533-7443 or Detective April Bird of the Asbury Park Police Department at 732-774-1300.