Jeffrey Holland was arrested in connection with three homicides in Newark. Two of the victims were his ex-girlfriends, authorities said. Watch video
Jeffrey Holland (Courtesy of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office)NEWARK -- Long before investigators zeroed in on him as the chief suspect in three shooting deaths, Jeffrey Holland had already racked up a lengthy arrest record.
According to county documents, New Jersey police arrested Holland eight times prior to 2016. Three of those arrests involve allegations of sexual violence, records indicate. And only three ultimately resulted in a conviction.
In 2013, Holland pleaded guilty to separate charges of third degree resisting arrest and fourth degree assault of a law enforcement officer, court documents say. He was later sentenced to three years probation with credit for 364 days served in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility.
Two weeks after the sentence was handed down, police arrested Holland on charges of criminal sexual contact, court documents say. He later pleaded to a lesser charge of harassment, receiving credit for nine days of time served in the county jail and a continuation of his probation.
Holland was still on probation earlier this month when homicide investigators arrested him in connection to killing three Newark residents, court documents indicate.
Domestic violence at heart of 3 brutal murders, authorities say
The county prosecutor's office has charged Holland with three counts of homicide in connection to the killings of Ashley Jones, 23, her boyfriend Jarrell Marshall, 28, and Tiniquah Rouse, 21.
All three victims were shot to death inside their homes over the course of one weekend, police have said.
At a press conference held announcing Holland's arrest, authorities acknowledged that domestic violence might be at the heart of the killings.
According to authorities, both Jones and Rouse had previous romantic relationships with Holland, and Jones and Marshall had recently begun dating.
Jones had an active restraining order against Holland at the time of her death, though how long it was in place remains unclear. Under state law, the orders are not public record.
Also unclear is whether Holland at any time violated the restraining orders. Both orders were active at the time of the killings, authorities have said.
Holland, who has pleaded not-guilty to the charges, remains in custody at the Essex Count Correctional Facility on $2.5 million bail.
Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.