Ex-honors student gets 33 years in marijuana dealer's death

FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) — A former community college honors student has been sentenced to 33 years in prison in the death of a marijuana dealer authorities say was shot by the defendant's former boyfriend.

The Asbury Park Press reports that the felony murder sentence imposed Friday on 21-year-old Raquel Garajau will require her to serve 30 years before being eligible for parole.

Monmouth County prosecutors said the Brookdale Community College student and 22-year-old boyfriend Joseph Villani plotted to kill Trupal Patel to steal and sell his marijuana stash.

Villani pleaded guilty earlier this month to aggravated manslaughter in the death of Patel, whose body was found in Shark River Park in Wall Township in February 2017.