Friends and family of Moussa Fofana, who was shot and killed at Underhill Sports Complex in June 2021, are planning a protest march from Columbia High School to Maplewood Town Hall on September 15 in response to a reported plea deal in the case of Fofana’s alleged murderer.
“This was an intentional murder. The penalty for intentional murder is 30 years to life,” said former Maplewood Mayor Fred Profeta. “But the prosecutor has agreed to ask for a ridiculously low prison term of 15 years. The community is outraged. We protest this failure to provide justice for Moussa.”
Profeta helped to raise more than $50,000 in reward money toward the capture and arrest of Fofana’s murderer.
A hearing on the plea deal is scheduled on September 22. Village Green will provide more information on the hearing as it becomes available from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Moussa’s mother, Hawa Fofana, shared her feeling about the plea deal on Instagram, after the hearing was carried from September 1:
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Yohan Hernandez, 20, of Newark was arrested and charged with the murder of Moussa Fofana in August 2021. At a virtual arraignment later that month, his attorney claimed that Hernandez shot Fofana in self-defense, after Fofana and a friend allegedly chased Hernandez’s younger brother at Underhill Sports Complex in Maplewood on the night of June 6.
Profeta says that the protest will gather at the entrance to Columbia High School at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 15, and then proceed with Maplewood Police escort along Kensington Terrace to Oakland Road to Valley Street and Maplewood Town Hall, where Profeta, Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis and South Orange Village President Sheena Collum will speak, among others. Information on letter writing and a petition for signing will be available at Maplewood Town Hall.
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MEDIA ALERT
PROTEST PLANNED IN RESPONSE TO PLEA DEAL IN THE CASE OF ALLEGED MURDERER OF MAPLEWOOD TEEN MOUSSA FOFANA
WHO: Friends, family and #JusticeForMoussa supporters of Maplewood, New Jersey teenager Moussa Fofana, who was shot and killed at Underhill Sports Complex in June 2021, are planning a protest march from Columbia High School to Maplewood Town Hall in response to a reported plea deal in the case of his alleged murderer.
WHAT: Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis and South Orange Village President Sheena Collum will speak about the proposed 15-year sentence and the system’s failure to provide justice for Moussa. A hearing on the plea deal is scheduled on September 22. Former Maplewood Mayor Fred Profeta – who helped to raise more than $50,000 in reward money toward the capture and arrest of Fofana’s murderer – will also speak.
“This was an intentional murder. The penalty for intentional murder is 30 years to life,” said former Maplewood Mayor Fred Profeta. “But the prosecutor has agreed to ask for a ridiculously low prison term of 15 years. The community is outraged.”
Moussa’s mother, Hawa Fofana, will be among the marchers and speakers.
WHEN: 5:30 p.m., Thursday, September 15, 2022
WHERE: Protesters will gather at the entrance to Columbia High School (470-482 Valley Street, Maplewood, NJ) and then proceed, with Maplewood Police escort, along Kensington Terrace to Oakland Road to Valley Street, ending at Maplewood Town Hall where the towns’ leadership will address the crowd.
BACKGROUND: Moussa Fofana, an 18-year-old 11th-grader at Columbia High School, was murdered the night of June 6, 2021 at the Underhill Sports Complex, less than a mile from the school. Yohan Hernandez, 20, of Newark was arrested and charged with the murder of Moussa Fofana in August 2021. At a virtual arraignment later that month, his attorney claimed that Hernandez shot Fofana in self-defense, after Fofana and a friend allegedly chased Hernandez’s younger brother at Underhill Sports Complex in Maplewood on the night of June 6.
Information on letter writing and apetition for signing will be available at Maplewood Town Hall. Professional photos will be available after the event.
CONTACT: Rosemary Ostmann, rostmann@rosecomm.com; 201-615-7751
