Jackson township police department. — Jackson Township Police Department.

JACKSON, N.J. — A Jackson Township man has been sentenced to 24 years in New Jersey State Prison for the 2020 stabbing death of a 23-year-old man, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Wednesday.

J’Shawn Cutler, 28, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Kimarie Rahill after being convicted in February of aggravated manslaughter, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. The sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, requiring Cutler to serve at least 85 percent before becoming eligible for parole.

The conviction stems from a June 19, 2020 incident in which officers responded to a 911 call at a residence on Cannon Boulevard in Jackson. There, police found Isaiah Renouf with a stab wound to the chest. Renouf was transported 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, and the manner of death as homicide. Authorities determined that Cutler was responsible for stabbing Renouf inside the residence.

Cutler was arrested the same day following a motor vehicle stop by Lakewood Township Police. He has remained in custody at the Ocean County Jail since his arrest.

Conviction follows month-long trial

Cutler’s trial lasted nearly one month. On February 21, a jury found him guilty on all charges related to the killing. Sentencing was handed down on Wednesday at the Ocean County Courthouse.

“The cause of Mr. Renouf’s death [was] a stab wound to the heart, and the manner of death [was] homicide,” the medical examiner’s office reported.

Cutler’s 24-year term reflects the state’s mandatory sentencing structure for violent crimes involving deadly weapons.

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