Manalapan man facing three years for punching Manchester man in Lakeside Diner brawl death
TOMS RIVER — Facing trial and a potential of 30 years in prison in the death of a senior citizen he punched outside a Lacey diner in 2020, a Manalapan man Thursday pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in a deal that cuts his prison sentence down to three years.
The plea bargain was reached after the state realized it could not prove its case for aggravated manslaughter against Edward Chandler, 57, of Iron Ore Road, Manalapan, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said after the court proceeding.
Chandler was scheduled to stand trial on the aggravated manslaughter charge next week.
But, plea negotiations commenced after defense attorneys presented prosecutors with a report from a forensic pathologist who concluded the victim, Robert Clarke, 78, of Manchester, did not die as a result of the punch thrown by Chandler, but from a pre-existing medical conditon, said Robin K. Lord, one of Chandler's attorneys.
"After careful review of the evidence in this case - including the findings and conclusions of the defense's medical expert which the state's own expert could not dispute - it was determined that we simply could not sustain our burden of proof with regard to the homicide charge,'' Billhimer said.
"The victim's family was made aware of the evidentiary problems in advance of this resolution and, to their credit, understood the difficult position we were in with respect to our obligations under the law,'' the prosecutor said.
From the onset, Chandler admitted punching Clarke once in the head during an altercation that spilled out from the Lakeside Diner in Lacey Township on Sept. 30, 2020, during an event attended by a large number of bikers.
Lord has claimed Chandler was coming to the aid of a friend when he threw the single punch at Clarke; he heard someone yell out, "knife,'' and then saw Clarke rushing toward a friend who had his back turned.
In court Thursday before Superior Court Judge Kimarie Rahill, there was no mention of the victim's death.
Being questioned by defense attorney Monika Mastellone, Chandler simply admitted that he punched Clarke once in the head, causing him significant bodily injury.
Kate Burke, an assistant Ocean County prosecutor, said the state would recommend that Chandler be sentenced to three years in prison, with no period of parole ineligibility.
That means Chandler could be considered for release on parole after serving roughly a third of that term.
Chandler has been free since shortly after his arrest in 2020. He remains free, pending sentencing scheduled for March 15.
The deadly altercation occurred when Clarke and a female friend went to the diner for a birthday celebration, and an argument broke out over his female friend being kicked out of a charity motorcycle club known as the "Wawa Crew,'' according to police documents.
After the diner owner ejected everyone, a second argument erupted outside. That's when Chandler said he heard someone yell "knife'' and punched Clarke in the face as Clarke was coming up behind his friend, according to the document.
Clarke fell and hit his head when he was punched. Police responded and found him unconscious and bleeding from the head, authorities said. The victim was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he died early the next day.
Earlier in 2020, the owner of the Lakeside Diner sparked controversy and garnered news coverage by opening the eatery to indoor dining in violation of Gov. Phil Murphy's emergency orders at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Manalapan man facing three years in deadly brawl in Lacey
