Pleasantville man pleads down to manslaughter for brutal murder of woman in 2018 — judge with gavel, stock photo.

MAYS LANDING – A Pleasantville man has pleaded guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter in connection to the killing of a woman in Atlantic City in April 2018, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Cary Shill announced.

On Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, Mark Huff, 58, pleaded guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter for the homicide of 56 year-old Vernell K. Vance. The State will recommend Huff be sentenced to 25 years in New Jersey state prison, subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA). Huff’s sentencing is scheduled before Judge Ridgway on Feb. 10, 2022.

Huff was arrested in Pleasantville on Monday, April 16, 2018. He was taken into custody by detectives from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Atlantic City Police detectives with the assistance of Pleasantville Police. New Jersey Transit Police were instrumental in identifying Huff as the suspect in the homicide.

At 11:28 p.m., on Saturday April 14, 2018, the Atlantic City Police Department received a 911 call, reporting a body had been discovered behind 21 S. Tennessee Avenue, Atlantic City. Police arrived and located Vance, who was determined to be deceased and had suffered significant blunt force head trauma.

An autopsy performed by Southern Regional Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined the cause of death to be blunt force head trauma and the manner of death as homicide.

Huff is lodged at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

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