JACKSON TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A Jackson Township man was found guilty of aggravated manslaughter in the 2020 stabbing death of a 23-year-old man, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced.
J’Shawn Cutler, 28, was convicted on February 21 following a nearly month-long trial before Judge Kimarie Rahill in Ocean County Superior Court. The jury determined that Cutler recklessly caused the death of Isaiah Renouf “under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life.” Cutler was also found guilty of unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
The charges stem from a fatal altercation on June 19, 2020. At around 5:00 a.m., Jackson Township police officers responded to a 911 call from a residence on Cannon Boulevard and found Renouf on the floor with a stab wound to his chest. First responders attempted lifesaving measures before transporting him to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, where he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death as a stab wound to the heart, ruling it a homicide.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Jackson Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit identified Cutler as the suspect. He was arrested later that day during a traffic stop by Lakewood Township police officers and has remained in custody at the Ocean County Jail since his apprehension.
Cutler faces up to 30 years in New Jersey State Prison under the No Early Release Act. His sentencing is scheduled for April 11.