Who has impressed at midway point of the soccer season?

A former associate dean at Caldwell College and a former employee of a Pennsylvania-based military education company pleaded guilty in federal court.

NEWARK -- Over four years, thousands of U.S. military veterans signed up for what seemed like a great opportunity to get a college education through a small Catholic university in New Jersey.

Under the deal marketed by Ed4Mil, a Pennsylvania-based company, the veterans could use their Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition benefits to enroll in online courses offered by Caldwell University.

But, it was all a scam, according to court documents released Tuesday. The online classes were not offered by Caldwell University or taught by the university's staff. Instead, they were low-cost correspondence courses that were not eligible for the GI Bill.

Two women, including a former associate dean at Caldwell University, admitted their roles Tuesday in the "bait-and-switch" scheme that defrauded the government of $24 million in GI Bill benefits between 2009 and 2013, federal prosecutors announced.

GI Bill fraud tied to N.J. university 

Lisa DiBisceglie, the former associate dean of the office of external partnerships at Caldwell University, and Helen Sechrist, a former employee of Ed4Mil, pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

DiBisceglie, 56, of Lavallette, and Sechrist, 61, could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Their sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2018.

"DiBisceglie and Sechrist were part of an elaborate bait-and-switch scheme that stole millions of dollars in Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition assistance," said Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick. "Instead of receiving a quality education under the Caldwell brand, the veterans that were recruited by Ed4Mil were enrolled in unapproved online courses without their knowledge, all while members of the conspiracy profited from their hard-earned benefits."

The women's guilty pleas follow last year's indictment of David Alvey, founder and president of Ed4Mil. Alvey, 50, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His case is still pending.

Caldwell University officials said in a statement that they ended their relationship with Ed4Mil in 2013 and only learned of the "bait-and-switch" scheme after DiBisceglie quit her assistant dean position to work for Ed4Mil.

"Caldwell understands that, today, one of its former employees pled guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy in connection with unauthorized actions she took while employed by the university and continued after she left the university and joined Ed4Mil.  Neither Caldwell University nor its current administration or staff is accused of wrongdoing, and only learned of the conduct after the former employee left the school to work for Ed4Mil. Caldwell University has and will continue to cooperate with the government until this investigation is concluded," the university's statement said.

Ed4Mil falsely claimed on government applications that the classes offered to the veterans were approved Caldwell University classes and not correspondence courses taught by an online company, according to court documents.

The government was charged between $4,500 and $26,000 per course, instead of the $600 to $1,000 per course the correspondence company charged for the same classes, prosecutors said.

The $24 million in tuition benefits collected through the GI Bill was allegedly paid to Caldwell University, which then turned over between 85 percent and 90 percent of the money to Ed4Mil, according to court documents.

DiBisceglie and Sechrist are required under their plea agreement sto pay back $24 million in restitution as part of their guilty pleas, though it is unclear how much of the money the government will be able to recover. The court documents do not say if the two women personally profited from the scheme.

Attorneys for DiBisceglie and Sechrist did not immediately return requests to comment.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to give military veterans money for tuition, housing and other education costs. The money is paid directly to colleges for eligible courses.

"Scams like this steal money from hardworking taxpayers and legitimate students -- and in this case, our veterans -- and that is completely unacceptable," said Debbi Mayer, assistant special agent in charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General's Northeastern Regional Office, which helped investigate the case.

At least two buildings damaged Tuesday afternoon.

EAST ORANGE -- Firefighters contained a blaze that damaged at least two houses in East Orange Tuesday afternoon.

The fire broke out on Edgerton Terrace, not far from the Garden State Parkway, around 2:30 p.m. Thick smoke was visible from the highway as crews worked to douse the flames, which shot out of a second floor window and burned through the upper floor.

The flames appeared to be largely under control shortly after 3 p.m. Officials did not immediately release more details on the blaze. It was not immediately clear if anyone was displaced by the fire.

Irvington and Newark firefighters were called to assist East Orange fire crews at the scene.

Driver stopped at the scene, according to prosecutor's office.

NEWARK -- A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle in Newark Monday night, according to officials.

The incident occurred near Raymond Boulevard and Jefferson Street around 9 p.m., authorities said.

The driver stopped and no charges have been filed, according to Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter. Investigators have not been able to identify to the victim.

More information was not immediately available Tuesday.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Angel Gonzalez was reported missing more than one week ago.

KEARNY -- Police have announced the search for a missing 14-year-old boy has come to a tragic end. 

Angel Gonzalez, of Kearny, has been found dead in Newark, police said in a statement on Facebook. The news comes one day after authorities asked for the public's assistance locating the missing teen.

The Kearny Police Department was notified on Tuesday that Angel was found unresponsive in Newark, where he was brought to a local hospital and pronounced dead. The Regional Medical Examiner made the identification and the cause of his death is pending.

Authorities say Angel's death appears to be an "isolated event" and there is no danger to the community.

"The police department extends its deepest condolences to Angel's family and friends in this most difficult time," a statement reads.

Grief counselors will be on hand Wednesday at Kearny High School, Lincoln Middle School, and Franklin School.

Additional information was not immediately available.

The fate of Matthew Ballister, who is charged with killing and dismembering his girlfriend, is now in the hands of a Union County jury.

ELIZABETH -- A 47-year-old man charged with killing his girlfriend stabbed her, put her under his Hummer while she was unconscious and drove over her body before dismembering it in his garage, a prosecutor said.

Matthew Ballister placed his on-and-off girlfriend, April Wyckoff, under the truck in the driveway of his Union Township home while she was unconscious or nearly dead before driving over and killing her, Assistant Prosecutor Scott Peterson said.

"This is the cover-up of a murder," Peterson told jurors Tuesday of his argument that tied together pieces of testimony from the dramatic trial that stretched more than a month. 

Ballister's fate is now in the hands of a Union County jury of eight men and five women that heard closing arguments Tuesday. Jurors spent less than an hour deliberating before asking Judge Stuart Peim for read backs on testimony from Ballister and the county medical examiner.

Prosecutors have said Ballister stabbed, hit and intentionally ran over Wyckoff, then 43, on the evening of Oct. 22, 2013, because he thought she was having an affair.

Ballister has maintained that he accidentally ran over Wyckoff, who he claimed was hiding under the vehicle, while experiencing a drug-induced hallucination.

Ballister's defense attorney, Thomas Russo, asked the jurors to carefully consider the evidence about the cause of Wyckoff's death when deciding if Ballister is guilty of murder, the most consequential of his eight charges.

The attorney questioned the findings of a forensic pathologist and claimed prosecutors and local media have focused more on how Ballister dismembered Wyckoff's remains than how she died.

"What happened after April's death has nothing to do with her cause of death," Russo said.   

After she died, Ballister testified, he left Wyckoff's body under his Hummer and took her car to buy drugs in Newark. When he came back hours later, he was surprised to find the body was still there.

In retelling the story Tuesday, Russo argued that people who commit murder do not leave the evidence in front of their homes.

"You don't kill someone and leave them lying in the open," he said. 

Later that day, Ballister dismembered Wyckoff's body because it reminded him that she died, he testified. Ballister thought if he removed the remains, it would be as if she never died, his attorney said.

Ballister said in court that he used a knife to slice Wyckoff's skin and muscle and a saw to cut through her bone. From there, he placed the remains in garbage bags and dropped them near the Passaic River in Newark. 

He later drove to Liberty State Park in Jersey City and Mountainside before he bought $76 worth of cleaning products at a Home Depot, Peterson said. When authorities arrived at his home, the prosecutor said, Ballister was "cleaning like a mad man."

In his closing arguments, Peterson replayed a 911 call Wyckoff made on the night she died, in which she screamed, "I'm going to die. He's coming back."

The prosecutor also showed images of some of Wyckoff's recovered body parts, which had several stab wounds. Her full body has never been found.

Peterson has argued that Ballister stabbed Wyckoff. Dr. Junaid Shaikh, the county medical examiner, testified that Wyckoff died from repeated instances of blunt and sharp force trauma, including stab wounds on her face that were an inch and a half deep. 

Ballister's defense team, however, has maintained that Wyckoff stabbed herself days earlier during an argument about a photograph of the man with whom Ballister thought Wyckoff was having an affair. 

Ballister faces charges that include murder, discretion of human remains, burglary, hindering his own apprehension and weapons offenses. 

The jury will continue deliberations Wednesday. 

Staff writer Marisa Iati contributed to this report. 

Luke Nozicka may be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @lukenozicka.

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The Board of Trustees at Essex County College on Tuesday moved to temporarily fill a vacant CFO position that originally spurred the chaos

NEWARK -- This time, there were no chants of "shame on you." 

During Tuesday's Board of Trustees meeting at Essex County College, officials agreed to more closely scrutinize the institution's finances as it desperately clings to its accreditation.  

Earlier this month, the college's accrediting agency gave the institution a disappointing review and cited it for ongoing problems in finance and governance. 

Without accreditation, students who attend the college would not be eligible for federal grants -- ending a revenue stream that could shut the college's doors. 

"We don't want the school closing," said Lev Zilbermints, a graduate of 1993. "We need to all come together and work together."

Trustees voted to appoint James Pedersen as acting chief financial officer through Jan. 31, while a permanent replacement is found. Pedersen was appointed deputy chief financial officer this year.

The CFO position has been vacant for months after trustees disagreed over whether President Anthony Munroe's CFO pick was qualified. Munroe's appointment was narrowly rejected in August.

Essex County College will also undergo a forensic audit and trustees agreed to hire a firm for $146,550. Trustee Thomas McDermott said such an audit could uncover things that do not appear in routine audits. "It's imperative that we go forward," he said. 

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which accredits area colleges, will decide in November on the college's accreditation status.

Last year, the commission placed the college on warning for failing three accreditation standards. During a visit and preliminary review this month, peer evaluators found the institution was in compliance with only one of the standards -- student enrollment practices.

On finance and governance standards, an evaluator cited the absence of a CFO and said there "was not a cohesive relationship between the president and the Board of Trustees."

Rev. Ronald Slaughter, who has criticized some trustees for interfering with Munroe's duties, said the Middle States findings validate what he and other clergy leaders have been saying. 

"We're not here to sensationalize anything," he said. "None of this was personal; this was about making this college whole."

Chaos has enveloped the college over the last few weeks. It erupted in a heated board meeting last month when the public demanded Joyce Wilson Harley, vice president of administration and finance, resign over allegations she held undue influence over trustees and undercut the new president. 

That night, the public yelled "shame on you" when trustees were nearly three hours late because they were discussing taking action against Harley in executive session. Harley was placed on paid leave and she denies wrongdoing.

Since then, infighting among leadership has continued. President Munroe accused two trustees of workplace harassment. Munroe has also been accused of misusing reallocation money.

Biology professor Michael Frank said the institution would eventually correct its finances but worried about the college's governance.

"What we cannot handle is the Board of Trustees. We've been very concerned about the process that goes into appointing board members," Frank told the trustees. "The problems seem to be at the door of this body." 

Most of the board is appointed by Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. He recently appointed Rev. Lanel Guyton, which appeased clergy leaders.

Trustees on Tuesday also voted to make their annual self-evaluation required, which President Emeritus A. Zachary Yamba said was a good step forward. 

On Friday, the college will respond to the exit report submitted by the Middle States evaluators last week, Munroe said. The Middle States Commission will then render a decision at its Nov. 16 meeting. 

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

The Essex County squad is 10-5-1 and seeded No. 6 in the county tournament.

West Essex believed that its record hadn't properly defined its success the last few years, but no matter how the picture was painted, the Knights knew they needed to string together victories and secure the program's first winning season since 2012.

An influx of youth has helped speed up the process and the results have been jaw-dropping this season for West Essex, which is now 10-5-1 and holds the No. 6 seed in the Essex County tournament. It's the first winning season in five years for the Knights and the first time since 2011 that the team has won double-digit games.

"I think this team really has a lot of heart and a strong desire to win," said West Essex coach Allison Decker. "In years past, our record often did not reflect how well we could play. I think the girls were tired of that and made it a point to come in this year in really good shape and put the extra time in in the offseason so that we would win those close games and it paid off."

The backbone of the team is made up of senior captains Julia Farese, Brielle Krause, Daria Wendell and Maddie Galligan. Each player helps lead West Essex on a difference level of the field and, together, this collection of experienced players has the Knights in good position to make a run in the county tournament.

Sophomore forwards Brooke Schatz and Lindsay Fusco have provided a burst as well for West Essex and the young offensive duo has a combined 18 goals this season. Senior Dana Andreaggi has also been a scoring presence for the Knights, with five strikes in 2017.

Galligan makes her impact as the center piece of a defense that is rounded out by starters Cameron Marino, Hannah McCrone and Carly Feldman as well as reserve Hayley Sek. Marino and McCrone are both three-year starters and bring physicality to the back line, which has been strong in front of keepers Danielle Candela and Georgia Tarullo.

West Essex has slipped up in a few close games this year, but has also impressed in a couple of one-goal contests. The Knights nearly handed Livingston a loss back on Sept. 28 before the Lancers found a way to score in a 1-0 game - a result that helped prove West Essex is a contender in the county.

"If we can maintain the level of focus and consistency we have been showing, I think we can surprise teams in the tournament," said Decker, whose team has won six of its last seven games. "Losing a close game to Livingston showed us that if we stick to our plan and play the way we know how to play, it doesn't matter who we are playing. Competing with top teams give us a gauge of where we are at. Rome wasn't built in a day, and we keep that in mind, but it 's really nice to see the possibility of where this team could end up this season and in the future of this program."

This season has been a rejuvenation and West Essex hopes that this campaign is just the start of something special. The Knights will be dangerous in the Essex County Tournament and in the state playoffs, where West Essex will be a team to watch in Group 2.

Its senior core will play a major factor when the games matter the most and West Essex hopes that crew can set an example that will have the program making its way into title conversations often in the near future.

"So far, we have scored more goals than we have in the past 10 years, we have won more games, and have been seeded higher in counties," said Decker. "If we continue to win games, that should also set us up with a good seed for the state tournament. We are a young team, and it's important that we learn and grow from the beginning of the to the end of the season. If we can do that, it will lead us to a strong finish for the year and set us up nicely for the (future)."

Brandon Gould may be reached at bgould@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrandonGouldHS. Like NJ.com HS sports on Facebook.

The changeup continues as a new team makes its debut in the Top 20.

The best games of Week 7 all in one place.

Angry commuters who say that their rush hour train has been canceled for two straight weeks will get relief, NJ Transit says.

Angry commuters who say that their rush hour train has been canceled for two straight weeks will have a train to board on Wednesday, NJ Transit says.

The 5:30 p.m. Montclair-Boonton line train from Penn Station has been canceled every day for the past two weeks without a reason being given, commuters say. That means an extra 40 minute wait and a more crowded train, and some commuters have filed formal complaints with NJ Transit.

"The primary effect has been to my sanity. All I'm trying to do is get home from work, and, seemingly every afternoon, I don't know how I'm going to do that or when I'm going to get there," said Andrew Fechner, who commutes between New York and Watchung Avenue station in Montclair. "It's infuriating and exhausting, and it happens nearly every day." 

But NJ Transit officials dispute the commuter contention that trains have been canceled for two weeks. A spokeswoman said the train was only canceled on Oct. 6, 10, 13 and 16.

"We ran it [Tuesday] we intend on running it [Wednesday]," said Nancy Snyder, an NJ Transit spokeswoman. "We're working to run that train."

all my cancellations lately have been "will not operate", the 4:52 and 5:30 MOBOs. they load 3 trains of ppl on 4 car hbkn connection

-- nik guinta (@nikography) October 16, 2017

Snyder blamed the cancellations on mechanical and staffing issues.

"The annulled trains are (due to) a combination of manpower and mechanical issues," Snyder said. "When our regular rail schedule change takes effect in less than two weeks, NJ Transit will maximize operational efficiency by requiring fewer engineers to run the existing level of service."

Montclair boonton and morris essex lines trains are cancelled! What is going on with Njtransit! No reason at all! #njtransit

-- Alberto Durana (@AlbertoDurana) October 13, 2017

Crew shortages were blamed for the cancellation of 35 trains on Columbus Day, after NJ Transit officials said 20 engineers took a personal day. However the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers union challenged NJ Transit's figures and said only five engineers took off and others volunteered to work on their day off. 

NJ Transit also has lost engineers to other commuter railroads such as Metro North and the Long Island Railroad, which pay more, union officials said.

Officials said the agency needs 268 engineers on duty each day to run rail service, and has 364 engineers total on active duty for seven-day-a-week operations. 

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Which teams have the best dual threat offensive combinations?

The New Jersey man will spend many years in state prison, the district attorney's office says.

A 32-year-old Irvington, New Jersey, man, who carjacked a 67-year-old military veteran in 2015 in Monroe County, was found guilty and sentenced this week to 26 to 52 years in state prison, authorities say.

Eddie Quick, 32, of Irvington, New Jersey. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com) 

Eddie Quick the morning of Oct. 26, 2015, pulled the victim from a vehicle along Route 196 in Mount Pocono, and, displaying a Ka-BAR military-style knife, threatened to kill him several times, the county district attorney's office said.

As Quick drove off, he dragged the victim 30 feet before the man freed himself, the district attorney's office said.

Pocono Mountain Regional police arrived soon after and put out an alert on the vehicle, the district attorney's office said.

It was spotted by Pocono Township police but Quick refused to stop, leading the officer, Pennsylvania State Police and Stroud Area Regional police on an 11-mile pursuit that hit speeds above 100 mph at 9 a.m. as Quick weaved in and out of traffic on Interstate 80, the district attorney's office said.

State police put out Stop Sticks, which flattened one of the tires on the vehicle, but Quick continued for another mile before striking a tractor-trailer and then a light pole off Exit 308, the district attorney's office said.

He then ran off before he was Tased and tackled by the Pocono Township officer, the district attorney's office said.

A search of the vehicle turned up a bag belonging to Quick that contained the knife, the district attorney's office said.

He was charged with robbery of a motor vehicle, robbery by threat and several related offenses, authorities said.

Quick was found guilty on Tuesday after a two-day jury trial in Monroe County Court, the district attorney's office said.

He also faces a burglary case in the county on charges from two weeks prior to the chase, records show. A pretrial conference was scheduled Wednesday in that case.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

A look at which girls soccer teams in N.J. have allowed the fewest goals

Nine of 43 undefeated teams lost in Week 6. How many of the 34 remaining unbeaten teams in New Jersey will run the table?

Nathan Lane, who played one-half of the gay couple doing their best to impress their child's future in-laws, will share his on-set stories and experiences after a screening of the film classic at NJPAC Oct. 21.

What does Nathan Lane want to talk about?

Maybe the television shows he's just binge-watched, like "Master of None" or "The Knick"? Or ask the Jersey City native about a show he's always wanted to perform in -- like "Death of a Salesman" -- or what it's like to play Roy Cohn in "Angels in America" -- "I'm so thankful for this hateful character. I've just loved playing him."

Even the most casual of conversations with this star of stage and screens big and small is interesting and engaging. Fans can hear for themselves when Lane comes to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Oct. 21. The evening will begin with a viewing of "The Birdcage," the Mike Nichols remake of 1973's "La Cage aux Folles," that was a crucial step on Lane's journey to international stardom. Lane will take the stage afterwards.

Lane began taking part in these conversations last year to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the movie that "The New York Daily News" said "paved the way for future depictions of gay lead characters on screen." The multi-Tony Award winner played Albert, the effeminate entertainer and life partner of Robin Williams' Armand and follows the pair as they attempt to impress their son's conservative in-laws. 

That Lane has time to spare for these conversations is impressive. He's a frequent television guest star, popping up most recently in "Difficult People" and "American Crime Story." He's preparing to take "Angels in America" to Broadway in spring 2018, after earning a Tony nomination for last year's revival of "The Front Page." He had a role in the 2016 movie "No Pay, Nudity" and 2017's "Sidney Hall."

Talking specifically about maintaining stamina while performing in "Angels," sometimes twice a day, Lane noted that, "You do what you need to do to get through it. It's the old cliche, you live like a nun. Nothing more than that. You try to be fit and hydrate and stretch and all those boring things.

"What keeps you going is the material. The material is so thrilling, it never gets boring."

But the star has his limits. Asked if he'd prefer his next star turn to be a non-musical or a musical, he chooses a non-musical.

"Musicals are a young man's scene. I don't have that drive anymore," he said. "I want to explore other things and other parts of myself and other things I have to offer. If the right thing comes along and doesn't kill me, I'd rather do a play." 

Nathan Lane Plus "The Birdcage"

New Jersey Performing Arts Center 

1 Center St., Newark.

Tickets: $49-99, available online at www.njpac.org. Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m.

Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

Man, 25, among two killed Tuesday night.

NEWARK -- A man and a woman were killed in separate shootings Tuesday night in Newark, officials said.

Police investigate a fatal shooting on Hedden Terrace in Newark Oct. 17, 2017 (Photo: Paul Milo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)  

The first attack occurred around 7:15 p.m. in the 300 block of Irvine Turner Boulevard, where 25-year-old Eric Jones was fatally shot, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

Jones, of Newark, died at the scene, the prosecutor's office said. There were no arrests in the slaying.

Less than two hours later, Qumar Bohle, 28, of Newark, was shot and killed in the 100 block of Hedden Terrance around 8:40 p.m., according to the prosecutor's office. She died at the scene.

"The investigation is active and ongoing. At this time, no arrests have been made," statement from the prosecutor's office said.

Officials did not immediately release more information on the shootings.

The killings brought the total number of homicides in Newark to 54 compared to at least 74 slayings in the same period last year, records show.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Matthew Ballister, of Union Township, was convicted of running over April Wyckoff with his Hummer and dismembering her body in his garage

ELIZABETH -- A man accused of stabbing and running over his on-and-off girlfriend, dismembering her body and leaving the remains in garbage bags by the side of a road in Newark was found guilty Wednesday by a jury.

After a dramatic trial that stretched more than a month, Matthew Ballister was convicted of murder, desecration of human remains, burglary, weapons offenses and hindering his own apprehension in the Oct. 22, 2013, death of April Wyckoff in the driveway of his Union Township home.

Ballister, 47, stared forward in silence as the jury foreman read the verdict after a few hours of deliberations. Wyckoff's family cried as they hugged each other and members of the county prosecutor's office. 

Sheila McGraw, Wyckoff's sister, said the trial was brutal for her family. The victim's daughter, Ashley Purachev, said they love and miss the 43-year-old mother of two. 

"Justice was finally served on the monster," Purachev said, speaking on behalf of her family. 

Ballister, who admitted to dismembering Wyckoff's body hours after he ran her over, faces the possibility of life in prison without parole when he is sentenced Dec. 15, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office said. 

The defense attorney, Thomas Russo, said Ballister was disappointed with the verdict and would probably appeal the decision. Russo said he likely would not represent Ballister in that process. 

Ballister has admitted to running over Wyckoff with his Hummer. Arguments in the trial before Judge Stuart Peim centered on whether he did it purposefully.

Prosecutors painted a picture of a violent man who intentionally hit, stabbed and crushed his girlfriend to death because he thought she was having an affair.

Ballister, in hours of testimony in his own defense, said he accidentally ran over Wyckoff while experiencing a drug-induced hallucination.

Assistant Prosecutors Scott Peterson and Jillian Reyes said Wyckoff called 911 on the night she was killed and screamed that she was going to die. A man in the background asked her, "What did I tell you? Who are you talking to?" the prosecutors said.

Ballister said the pair had been using cocaine for two days when Wyckoff died at his Mercer Avenue home. He said he put Wyckoff into the back seat of his Hummer to get medical treatment, went back in the house for his keys and started to back the truck out of the driveway.

Ballister claimed he accidentally ran over Wyckoff, who had somehow ended up under the truck. Prosecutors, however, said Ballister stabbed Wyckoff, put her under his Hummer while she was unconscious or nearly dead, and drove over her body. 

After she died, Ballister left Wyckoff's body under his Hummer and took her car to buy drugs in Newark. He later dragged her body into his garage and used a knife and a saw to cut off her head and limbs.

Ballister then placed her remains in garbage bags and dropped them near the Passaic River in a remote, industrial part of Newark. 

After more than 200 law enforcement officers fanned out over parts of three counties for five days, looking for Wyckoff, authorities found five garbage bags with parts of her body: a hand, her head and neck, a thigh, a leg and four fingertips. Her full remains have not been found. 

Ballister's mother, Eleanor Schofield, faces a charge of hindering the police investigation. The charge against Schofield, who has pleaded not guilty and strongly denied involvement in the killing, is pending.

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati or on Facebook here.

Luke Nozicka may be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @lukenozicka. 

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Which players have emerged as the leaders in statistics in boys soccer this year?

Danny Saad, a Newark teen admitted to killing a Trenton man last summer. Watch video

TRENTON- The Newark teenager accused of killing a Trenton man last summer has admitted to being responsible for his death. 

Danny Saad, 16, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter on Oct. 2. Saad had been waived up to Superior Court from Juvenile Court in June. 

Saad stabbed 27-year-old Carlos Leiva-Oviedo in June 2016. The night of the attack Trenton police officers responded to a report of a man bleeding at Hudson and Genesee streets at 3 a.m. and found Leiva-Oviedo bloodied in the street, near his car.

He died about four hours later at a Trenton hospital from multiple stab wounds and related injuries from a vicious beating, police said.

Saad will face between ten and thirty years in prison when he is sentenced in December. 

Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook