Photos courtesy of: Jerry McCrea/The Star-Ledger
From left to right, Orin White Matthews, son of Natasha White, reads a statement about his relationship with his mother during her sentencing on murder charges in Newark today., as defense attorney Champ Goldman, Natahsa White, and Ilene McFarland, another defense attorney, listen.
By Carmen Juri/The Star-Ledger
An East Orange woman convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend two years ago by running him over with her Lexus outside a bar in Orange was sentenced today to 40 years in prison.
Natasha White, 32, must serve 85 percent of her term before becoming eligible for parole, said Superior Court Judge Garry Furnari. At his mother's sentencing for murdering her ex-boyfriend, Orin White Matthews pleaded for leniency, telling a packed Newark courtroom his mother is everything to him and her support inspired him to finish school.
"The last month has been hard without my mother," said Matthews, who recently graduated from high school and said he has a shaky relationship with his father. "I miss my mother so much."
The teenager looked at Natasha White in her green prison garb, her hands handcuffed behind her back and said, "I love you."
White was sentenced after Matthews and other family members, including her mother and stepfather, had finished making emotional pleas for mercy.White was found guilty Feb. 3 of using her Lexus as a weapon to hit and kill Sanders, a 33-year-old Orange resident and father of two, outside a city bar two years ago.
Furnari said he received 11 letters from White's family and friends describing her as a loving, compassionate role model -- even a letter from Sanders' nephew calling White "a mother to him." The letters referred to Sanders' death as a terrible accident.
"But I sat through the trial. Zachary Sanders' death was no accident," Furnari said. "Alcohol and uncontrolled anger led to this tragedy."
An East Orange woman convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend two years ago by running him over with her Lexus outside a bar in Orange was sentenced today to 40 years in prison.
Natasha White, 32, must serve 85 percent of her term before becoming eligible for parole, said Superior Court Judge Garry Furnari. At his mother's sentencing for murdering her ex-boyfriend, Orin White Matthews pleaded for leniency, telling a packed Newark courtroom his mother is everything to him and her support inspired him to finish school.
"The last month has been hard without my mother," said Matthews, who recently graduated from high school and said he has a shaky relationship with his father. "I miss my mother so much."
The teenager looked at Natasha White in her green prison garb, her hands handcuffed behind her back and said, "I love you."
White was sentenced after Matthews and other family members, including her mother and stepfather, had finished making emotional pleas for mercy.White was found guilty Feb. 3 of using her Lexus as a weapon to hit and kill Sanders, a 33-year-old Orange resident and father of two, outside a city bar two years ago.
Furnari said he received 11 letters from White's family and friends describing her as a loving, compassionate role model -- even a letter from Sanders' nephew calling White "a mother to him." The letters referred to Sanders' death as a terrible accident.
"But I sat through the trial. Zachary Sanders' death was no accident," Furnari said. "Alcohol and uncontrolled anger led to this tragedy."
Jerry McCrea/The Star-Ledger
Latoshia Renee Richardson, Zachary Sanders' fiancee and mother of his two children, wipes a tear while reading a statement about the consequences of the murder for herself and her children.
Several of Sanders' family members spoke at the sentencing and asked the judge to impose the maximum penalty of life in prison. Among them was Latoshia Renee Richardson, the victim's fiancee and mother of his two children. She said the closest her 10-year-old daughter will get to seeing her father is staring at a picture of him in her room.
"It is very hard telling kids their dad is never coming back home again," Richardson said, sobbing. "I have to face raising kids without their father. If my fiancee can't enjoy his life, she shouldn't."
She then turned to White and said, "Thank you for taking his life and love from all of us."
At one point during the sentencing, White faced Sanders' family. Naming his relatives one by one, she said, "I loved Zachary for three years. You have seen us together. There's no way in your heart that you did not know we loved each other. I loved Zach with all of my heart. There's nothing I can say that can bring him back. Words cannot say how sorry I am.
"I stand strong, and I stand tall with my head held high," White said. "I am not a murderer."
After a three-week trial and eight hours of deliberations, the jury convicted White on 10 counts, including murder, vehicular homicide, aggravated assault, criminal mischief, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, operating a vehicle while her driver's license was revoked, simple assault and other charges. As the verdict was read, several jurors fought back tears.
Prosecutors said that about 11 p.m. on April 9, 2007, White confronted her ex-boyfriend as he stood outside the Rubicon Pub with his friend Bernard Kelly. White then aimed her car directly at Sanders and hit the accelerator, striking him and dragging his body several feet down the street from the lot, they said. Sanders, who suffered a crushed chest, was pronounced dead at the scene minutes later.
Nine days earlier, at the same location, White had used her vehicle to ram into Sanders' parked Infiniti, Assistant Prosecutor Keith Harvest has said, resulting in White's criminal mischief conviction.
Furnari said although White led a law-abiding life and had no prior criminal history, the fact that she rammed her vehicle into the Infiniti is an aggravating factor.
"This was a single period of atypical behavior in the defendant's life," he said. "But that will be little consolation for kids who would be told their father was killed by a good, smart woman."
Defense attorney Champ Goldman said there will be an appeal. He had argued Sanders jumped on the hood of the car and was not run over, making his death an accident.
During sentencing today, Goldman said White could not stop the car because Sanders was drunk and she was afraid he would hurt her.
"No matter what the prosecutors or jury said, this lady is not a murderer. It was a love affair that had gone bad," Goldman said. "I believe if she had taken the stand, she would have been acquitted."
"It is very hard telling kids their dad is never coming back home again," Richardson said, sobbing. "I have to face raising kids without their father. If my fiancee can't enjoy his life, she shouldn't."
She then turned to White and said, "Thank you for taking his life and love from all of us."
At one point during the sentencing, White faced Sanders' family. Naming his relatives one by one, she said, "I loved Zachary for three years. You have seen us together. There's no way in your heart that you did not know we loved each other. I loved Zach with all of my heart. There's nothing I can say that can bring him back. Words cannot say how sorry I am.
"I stand strong, and I stand tall with my head held high," White said. "I am not a murderer."
After a three-week trial and eight hours of deliberations, the jury convicted White on 10 counts, including murder, vehicular homicide, aggravated assault, criminal mischief, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, operating a vehicle while her driver's license was revoked, simple assault and other charges. As the verdict was read, several jurors fought back tears.
Prosecutors said that about 11 p.m. on April 9, 2007, White confronted her ex-boyfriend as he stood outside the Rubicon Pub with his friend Bernard Kelly. White then aimed her car directly at Sanders and hit the accelerator, striking him and dragging his body several feet down the street from the lot, they said. Sanders, who suffered a crushed chest, was pronounced dead at the scene minutes later.
Nine days earlier, at the same location, White had used her vehicle to ram into Sanders' parked Infiniti, Assistant Prosecutor Keith Harvest has said, resulting in White's criminal mischief conviction.
Furnari said although White led a law-abiding life and had no prior criminal history, the fact that she rammed her vehicle into the Infiniti is an aggravating factor.
"This was a single period of atypical behavior in the defendant's life," he said. "But that will be little consolation for kids who would be told their father was killed by a good, smart woman."
Defense attorney Champ Goldman said there will be an appeal. He had argued Sanders jumped on the hood of the car and was not run over, making his death an accident.
During sentencing today, Goldman said White could not stop the car because Sanders was drunk and she was afraid he would hurt her.
"No matter what the prosecutors or jury said, this lady is not a murderer. It was a love affair that had gone bad," Goldman said. "I believe if she had taken the stand, she would have been acquitted."
It is sad help sometimes people do things in the Heat of the Moment and which there are mistakes in this life but to give this young girl 40 years and we could do 85% of it is more than just a punishment had she been maybe another color another race maybe the results would have been different as you know when it comes to black women and black men America do everything to take out race and hold it down it's sad because I watch the ID channel 24 hours a day and it's white people and they don't get that much time that's just goes to show you how America say they're not racist but they are and how the court system is not racist but they are they tried to take your freedom and your rights as if you're a slave that is definitely a full form of slavery they can't keep you down any other way so they take your freedom
ReplyDeleteMy goodness. I watch id everyday what are you watching that has led you to believe this? The white ppl on there get life just as much as other races. In fact I have seen more white ppl on these shows sentenced the death penalty for the same crimes. Change starts with all of us and there is no reason to make this about race. You sound like a bigot
DeleteMy goodness. I watch id everyday what are you watching that has led you to believe this? The white ppl on there get life just as much as other races. In fact I have seen more white ppl on these shows sentenced the death penalty for the same crimes. Change starts with all of us and there is no reason to make this about race. You sound like a bigot
DeleteSee killed this man ahd should pay with her life. PERIOD. I do not care what color she is.💩💩🤬🤬🤬
DeleteYou must seen the episode on I.D channel
DeleteExactly it doesn't matter what race you are and I also watch the ID Channel 247 LITTERALY and the penalty
Deleteof Laws are different in each state which affects the time which ppl are sentenced . It's not always about race.
She used a car twice against this man....not once but twice!
DeleteI've known this young lady for a very long time since she was a little girl my sister and her together she was a woman she grew up to be a lovely lady she had one night of one moment of disparity and none of that was ticking and consideration that this woman was a loving caring woman she did do a egregious mistake but I think that the sentence that she got was not what she deserved I think she has to deal with God first but some of her peers see her as garbage and that is not the case I know her and so do my family and my family is most law enforcement and we can definitely say she was a beautiful woman and still probably is but this sentence should be commuted I think she's paid a great price she's also lost her freedom everything that she's work for and her child I think and I beg that anyone that is reading this had it be the parole bored if you can please take in consideration that I can get at least a hundred people that knows this girl and that would vouch that she's not a danger to society she just had a moment that was out of control and switch most young people have those moments but it's unfortunate that when it comes to certain people they don't get to do that over but some do please take consideration that this woman has more to live for and I'm quite sure she's definitely changed her life thank you for understanding and I hope that you take this in consideration
ReplyDeleteShe may have been a good then. People change. At the end of the day, she murdered someone. She deserved the time, if not more.
DeleteThe fact that this was the second time she used her vehicle in a fit of anger says a lot. She got the time she deserves. I pray for his kids.
DeleteExactly!! 2 times she used her vehicle to hurt him emotionally and physically!! ASSAULT AND MURDER AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE!!
DeleteShe was cookoo for coco puffs!! Moving into his old apartment, befriending his mom...WTF!! There are consequences to your choices! Stop trying to pacify crazy behavior!! Do the crime do the time!! bottom line!
DeleteOk, so make sure to tell all that to her victims children and see if that makes them feel better. She could of been mother Theresa before, but then she murdered someone. I say eye for an eye with violent crimes
DeleteI hope she serves the whole 40. The "heat of the moment" stuff doesn't fly...AT ALL. That waste of space KNEW what she was doing when she ran over him. He had been hanging onto the wipers and beating the windshield, yelling for her to stop. She hit the gas instead.
ReplyDeleteWtf r u talking about
ReplyDeleteHe had confronted her earlier and told her to stay out their lives. She chose to go to that bar that night probably in the hopes of angering him. She knew what she did. Considering all things at the end of the day, she's still alive and he is not here and his kids will never see him in this live.
ReplyDeleteYou have nothing to do with how this lady grieves or moves on with her life. Worry about yourself.
ReplyDeleteTorn on this sentence. 40 years won’t bring the young man back but if women stalkers are anything like men stalkers, she’d probably do a similar horrendous act again.
ReplyDeleteThe murder was not right, but he used her and thought it was okay to throw her away as if she was garbage. Sad from all angles.��
ReplyDeleteLet's be clear, if Zack sanders wouldn't be messing around with two women at the same time, HE WOULD BE He's to blame for using white, to get her to be a co-signer.
ReplyDeleteNatasha White is to blame! Period! We as women allow ourselves to be stupid and then want to blame someone else for our stupidity. Nobody made her co-sign or stick around. She threw her life away behind some dick. I don't care what he was telling her, he was showing her something different. You can't make anybody love you or want to be with you just because that's how you feel. She needs to do her time and get some help.
Deletei bet you are single.
DeleteActually I'm not, but what does that have to do with her intentionally running this man over with her car? I said what I said! If he no longer wanted to be with her. She should've accepted that and went on about her life. This women took him away from his children, family, and friends. You have a blessed day!
DeleteI'm pretty sure there was 2 years before she went to trial. The fact you are saying that & she was with him for 7 years so I'm gonna say she loved him.
ReplyDeleteAre we negating the fact that he brought another woman...CRAZY woman.... into the relationship. she's entitled to move on!
ReplyDeleteUsually when people get less time for crimes the take a plea deal because they did the crime and they understand but I guess she went to trail so they gave her the max if I'm not mistaken they offered her a plea deal of 10 years but like alot of people who have never been to prison they go to trail because they done want to go to prison
ReplyDeleteThere was almost 3 years until the trial...who are you to judge people? She's a liar because she is in a new relationship years after her fiance was killed? Wtf is wrong with you ...that was a very weird, angry comment and you should probably get some help to deal with your judgemental condemnation of people 🤷♀️
ReplyDeleteYou are deranged to say something like this considering what happened here. You must have been cheated on and are bitter cause you sound bitter and hateful
ReplyDelete👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
ReplyDeleteNatasha White should have been sentenced to life!!! Don’t let men make a fool out of you & then kill him. Be strong & humble enough to know when to bow out gracefully. I don’t care what happened. You do not take someone’s life. Men make fools out of women everyday. Have sense enough to realize when people show you who they are, Believe them!!!
ReplyDeleteYou sound like a dam fool! Zach is never coming back. At least she didn’t get pregnant with someone’s else’s baby while still with him. Like most men do. That bitch is not judge & jury. She had no right to take his life. She should have taken the loss & moved on. She wouldn’t have to do anytime. SMH
ReplyDeleteTHAT BITCH WAS CRAZY SHE DID WHAT SHE DID AND GOT WHAT SHE GOT FIRST OFF SHE AIN'T NO CHILD TRUE FACTS MENTAL ILLNESS IS REAL BUT HELP IS AVAILABLE SHE REALLY WAS ON SOME BS HE WASN'T HER FIRST BREAK UP EITHER
ReplyDelete