Samuel Alexander, 28, formerly of East Orange, is serving a 22-year state prison sentence for beating Monte Rollins to death in 2007 with an anti-theft car device
Samuel Alexander NEWARK — While living in a housing complex in East Orange, Samuel Alexander gave $100 to a neighbor, Monte Rollins, in September 2006 as an advance payment for an ounce of marijuana, court documents state.
But after roughly six months passed and Alexander had not received the marijuana or his money back, he confronted Rollins in March 2007 and ultimately beat him to death with an anti-theft car device, court documents state.
Nearly nine years later, a state appellate panel this week upheld Alexander's conviction at his 2009 trial on charges of aggravated manslaughter and unlawful possession of a weapon. The appeals court rejected Alexander's claims of receiving ineffective assistance from his trial attorney.
Alexander, 28, is serving a 22-year state prison sentence and will not become eligible for parole until November 2025.
The incident occurred on March 17, 2007 after Alexander, then 19, was looking out a window of his North Grove Street home and saw the 27-year-old Rollins walking outside, court documents state. Alexander invited Rollins into the house and the two men went into the garage to talk, court documents state.
Inside the garage, Alexander confronted Rollins and a fistfight ensued before Alexander picked up a steering wheel locking device, commonly known as the "Club," and began beating Rollins with it, court documents state. Authorities later determined Rollins was struck 14 times on the head.
When Alexander's brother returned home about three hours later, Alexander told him he had killed Rollins, court documents state.
Alexander and the brother then called their older brother, who arrived ten minutes later and saw Rollins laying face down in the garage with a bag over his head, court documents state. That brother called the police, court documents state.
Later that day, Alexander confessed to the killing in a statement to the police, court documents state. Authorities have said Alexander killed Rollins over the $100 debt.
Following his conviction in February 2009, Alexander was sentenced in April 2009 to 22 years in state prison.
RELATED: E. Orange man guilty of killing man with steering-wheel lock
In the appellate decision released on Monday, the panel affirmed a 2013 ruling by then-Superior Court Judge Patricia Costello to deny Alexander's petition for post-conviction relief.
As part of his petition, Alexander claimed his trial attorney did not provide him with copies of the evidence collected against him and, as a result, "he was 'unable to assess the propriety of accepting the State's plea bargain," the decision states.
"Notably, defendant does not deny that his counsel discussed with him the strength of the State's case, regardless of whether he physically received copies of the discovery," the decision states.
But even assuming Alexander did not receive copies of the evidence, the appellate panel agreed with Costello's findings that Alexander has not shown that alleged error caused him to be prejudiced and deprived of his right to a fair trial.
In issuing that ruling, the panel cited Costello's written opinion in which she noted that much of the evidence came from Alexander's confession and the testimony of his brothers.
"He does not state he was surprised by any testimony at the trial," Costello wrote, referring to Alexander. "He does not say he was surprised by or disagreed with any of the strategies employed by trial counsel."
Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.