After nearly five years of waiting, justice has been served. J’Shawn Cutler, 28, of Jackson, was found guilty of Aggravated Manslaughter in the shocking killing of Isaiah Renouf, 23, in June 2020.
Ocean County Prosecutor Brad Billhimer announced the verdict Friday, following an intense month-long jury trial before Judge Kimarie Rahill. The jury, after deliberating the gruesome details, ruled beyond a reasonable doubt that Cutler recklessly caused Renouf’s death in a manner that displayed extreme indifference to human life.
In addition to Aggravated Manslaughter, Cutler was also convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose. He now faces a potential 30-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison, subject to the strict No Early Release Act. His sentencing is scheduled for April 11.
At approximately 5:00 a.m. on June 19, 2020, Jackson Township Police officers responded to a frantic 911 call from a residence on Cannon Boulevard. Inside, they found a horrific scene—Isaiah Renouf lying on the floor, a gaping wound to his chest.
Emergency responders desperately tried to save him, but the wound proved fatal. Renouf was rushed to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, where doctors pronounced him dead.
A post-mortem examination by the Ocean County Medical Examiner confirmed the worst—the cause of death was a stab wound straight to the heart. The official ruling: Homicide.
Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Jackson Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit worked relentlessly to piece together the violent crime. Their investigation led straight to Cutler.
Within hours of the attack, Lakewood Township Police Officers pulled Cutler over during a motor vehicle stop and took him into custody. He has remained behind bars at the Ocean County Jail ever since.