A New Jersey man has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend, Latrena May, outside her own home in East Orange, New Jersey. Andre Higgs, 53, was convicted for the tragic 2015 shooting that claimed the life of the 27-year-old teacher, leaving behind a devastated family and a community in shock.
The Murder of Latrena May
On May 1, 2015, Latrena May, a longtime teacher at Pride Academy Charter School in East Orange, was fatally shot by her ex-boyfriend, Andre Higgs. The incident took place late at night outside May’s home on Tremont Avenue, following an argument between the two. In a desperate attempt to escape, May ran from her house and flagged down a passing police vehicle for help.
However, the situation took a tragic turn as Higgs, in a fit of rage, fired multiple shots at May while she tried to seek help from East Orange Detective Kemon Lee, who had exited his vehicle and approached the scene. The detective returned fire, striking Higgs in the legs, but Higgs managed to retreat back into May’s home, where her 4-year-old daughter was still asleep. After barricading himself inside, he was later arrested.
A Lengthy Legal Battle
Higgs was initially convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2017 for the murder of Latrena May. However, in 2023, the New Jersey Supreme Court overturned the conviction, granting him a new trial.
The court ruled that the defense should have been given access to Detective Lee’s internal affairs file, which contained information about previous incidents in which the officer had fired his weapon while on duty. Despite this, the second trial resulted in the same outcome, with Higgs found guilty of murder.
In addition to the first-degree murder charge, Higgs was convicted of several related weapons charges, including unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a handgun by a previously convicted felon, and being a person prohibited from possessing weapons.
Sentencing and Aftermath
On Friday, after his second conviction, Higgs was sentenced to life in prison, along with a 75-year sentence in the Garden State. He also received an additional 20 years for weapons-related charges. Under a recently passed New Jersey law, Higgs will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole, meaning he will serve nearly 64 years for the murder conviction alone.
Prosecutor Justin Edwab praised the bravery of the witnesses who came forward to testify during the trial, emphasizing Detective Lee’s heroic actions in attempting to save May from her abuser. “Detective Kemon Lee was a hero that day for responding to Latrena May and attempting to save her from the grip of her abuser,” Edwab said.
While the sentence will not bring back Latrena May, Edwab expressed hope that the conviction would provide some measure of peace for the May family, acknowledging the profound loss they have suffered.
