FREEHOLD – A Long Branch man has been charged in a homicide that had remained unsolved for eleven years, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Christopher Willis, 31, of Long Branch, was charged with one count of first degree murder related to the death of Norberto Nieves.

On November 29, 2009, Norberto Nieves, 36, of Long Branch was shot and killed in the vicinity of 136 Seventh Avenue in Long Branch.

An investigation was initiated into the homicide by the Long Branch Police Department. At the time of Nieves’ murder, the initial investigation did not yield any arrests. Additional evidence from the original crime scene was compared to other physical and testimonial evidence recently obtained during the cold case investigation, which resulted in charges being filed against the defendant.

With the assistance of the United States Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, Willis was taken into custody and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township as he awaits his First Appearance and Detention Hearing.

If convicted of murder, Willis faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in a New Jersey state prison without parole and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, subject to the provisions of the “No Early Release Act” (NERA) requiring him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for parole.