East Orange man killed after prison prayer service at Garden State Youth Correctional Facility
The victim collapsed after the assault and was pronounced dead at the scene.
An East Orange man incarcerated at Garden State Youth Correctional Facility was allegedly murdered by another inmate after a Muslim prayer service two weeks ago, according to law enforcement officials and sources familiar with the incident.
Yasin Sellers, 24, had just attended a Friday afternoon prayer service July 17 in the prison gymnasium when another inmate, 23-year-old Trevor Banton, allegedly struck him with a blunt object at about 2:20 p.m., according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.
Corrections officers at the prison in Chesterfield Township found Sellers slumped on the floor when they arrived, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said in a statement.
A prison employee told The Jersey Vindicator that corrections officers initially administered naloxone, the overdose reversal drug, because they believed Sellers had overdosed. They later determined Banton had struck him in the back of the head.
Sellers collapsed after the assault and was pronounced dead at the scene, Bradshaw said.
Authorities charged Banton with first-degree murder July 21.
The Jersey Vindicator began making inquiries about the killing of Sellers with the Department of Corrections on Monday and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday. The Department of Corrections refused to provide details, saying the investigation was ongoing. The Burlington County Prosecutor’s office then distributed a statement to New Jersey media outlets on Friday afternoon.
Banton’s first court appearance has not yet been scheduled. The case also will be presented to a grand jury for a possible indictment, the prosecutor’s office said.
Sellers had been incarcerated since April 2024 on robbery and weapons possession charges, according to online court records.
His family has set up a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of the Islamic funeral, burial, and related expenses.
Banton, who is also from East Orange, entered the prison in September 2023 after being convicted of aggravated assault, causing serious bodily injury, and unlawful possession of a handgun, court records show.
The investigation by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Department of Corrections’ Special Investigations Division is ongoing.
Steve Janoski is an award-winning investigative journalist with nearly two decades of experience covering criminal justice, policing, courts, government, and politics. His reporting has exposed corruption, government malfeasance, and police misconduct. His work has appeared in the New York Post, USA Today, The Associated Press, The Record, and the Asbury Park Press. At The Jersey Vindicator, he covers criminal justice. Reach Steve at steve AT jerseyvindicator.org.