U.S. Marshals Arrest CT Murder Suspect in NJ

New Haven, CT  – The U.S. Marshals (USMS) New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force (NYNJRFTF) arrested today in New Jersey a man identified as the suspect in a June 2021 murder in Hamden.

Curtis Cole, 47, of Camden, New Jersey, has been charged with murder, illegal discharge of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, and criminal possession of a pistol or revolver.

The Hamden Police Department identified Cole as the suspect in the shooting death of Jonquay Morrison, 38, in Hamden.

On June 6, 2021, Hamden Police responded to a report of shots fired in the area of 20 Hamden Park Drive. Upon arrival, officers located Morrison suffering from gunshot wounds. He later succumbed to his injuries.

After an extensive investigation, an arrest warrant was issued July 23 for Cole charging him with murder. His apprehension was delegated to the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force in Connecticut, who developed information that Cole was in New Jersey and sent a collateral lead to the USMS NYNJRFTF.

The NYNJRFTF located Cole in Camden and arrested him without incident. Cole was transported to the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, where he is being held pending extradition to Connecticut with a court-set bond of $3 million.

Since the inception of the U.S. Marshals – Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force in 1999, these partnerships have resulted in over 11,046 arrests. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent fugitives and sexual predators. Membership agencies include Hartford, Bridgeport, Norwalk, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments and Homeland Security Investigations. These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, eight regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.