Rick King allegedly said after Patel's death that he'd no longer have to worry about robbery charge, prosecutors have said. Watch video
NEWARK -- A man charged in the 2013 robbery of an Irvington liquor store made his first appearance in New Jersey Superior Court Thursday on charges he killed a witness in that case.
Rick King, 32, pleaded not guilty before Judge Ronald Wigler in Newark to charges of murder and witness tampering in connection with death of Amit Patel.
Patel, 28, of Edison, had given a statement to police as a witness in the Oct. 31, 2013 robbery of Roseway Liquors and Deli, his father's store on Lyons Avenue.
Shortly after, King was arrested and charged with the robbery, and subsequently learned Patel was slated to testify at his trial, prosecutors said.
Authorities said that just over a year later, on Feb. 15, 2015, Patel was fatally shot while working at the store's counter.
After Patel's death, prosecutors moved to make his pre-trial statements to police officers admissible in court.
Prosecutors later said that King had claimed after Patel's death that he no longer had to worry about the murder charge. Law enforcement officers searching King's phone after the shooting found he had looked up information about Patel and the shooting, they said.
Prosecutors also said cameras on the streets near the liquor store captured a man wearing the same clothes as King was seen wearing that day entering and fleeing the store around time of the shooting.
"In light of the probable likelihood Rick King caused Amit Patel to be unavailable (to testify), the state submits all of Amit Patel's statement should be admissible for trial purposes," Assistant Prosecutor Mira Ohm said in court filings.
Judge Russel J. Passamno agreed, and on Sept. 26 ruled that Patel's statements to officers were admissible as an exception to rules normally prohibiting the use of hearsay evidence.
Wigler set King's bail at $1 million cash. He said the new charges against King will be referred to a grand jury.
King is next scheduled to appear in court in the robbery case on Oct. 21 for a status conference, according to court records.
Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.