Jersey City, NJ – Ishmeal Coleman has been sentenced to 45 years in New Jersey State Prison for the 2018 murder of Takeela Wilson, announced Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable John A. Young, J.S.C., on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

Coleman, 48, was found guilty by a jury on February 16, 2024, of murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose after a multi-week trial. Under the No Early Release Act, he is not eligible for parole until he has served 85% of his sentence.

The case stemmed from an incident on August 12, 2018, when Jersey City Police responded to a report at 391 Forrest Street at approximately 4:30 p.m. Officers found Takeela Wilson, a resident of Jersey City, unresponsive with a stab wound to her torso. She was pronounced dead at the scene just five minutes later, at 4:35 p.m. The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed the cause of death as a stab wound of the chest and ruled the manner of death as homicide.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Najma Rana represented the State in this matter, ensuring a lengthy prison term for Coleman in response to the violent crime. The sentencing concludes a legal process that has spanned nearly six years, bringing a measure of closure to the community and the victim’s family.

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