Newark Man Gets 300-Year Sentence

A ranking member of the Bloods street gang, already imprisoned for life, was sentenced to an additional 300 years Wednesday for the murders of four people, including a 13-year-old girl, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said in statement.

Rolando “Ratman” Terrell, 40, of Newark, was charged with the murders of four Irvington residents: Candes McClean, 40; her daughter Talia, 18; her niece Zakiyyah Jones, 18; and her boyfriend’s daughter, 13-year-old Latrisha Curruthers.
 
On Sept. 8, 2008 Terrell went to Candes McLean’s Columbia Avenue home in Irvington to rob her, believing she had drugs or money in the house. He knew there were no adult men in the home because McLean’s boyfriend was in prison.
 
Terrell used a 9 mm handgun to kill the victims and then set the house on fire, according to Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Roger Imhof, who tried the case with Assistant Prosecutor Naazneen Khan.
 
Anijah McLean, Candes McLean’s then 19-year-old daughter, survived the ordeal by hiding in a closet. She saved her 16-month-old nephew by grabbing him and running from the burning house.
 
Terrell was indicted in 2009 on 16 counts, including two robbery charges, four counts of murder, aggravated arson, and multiple weapons offenses.
 
On Wednesday Terrell received four consecutive terms of 75 years for each murder charge. Under the No Early Release Act, Terrell must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
 
“Today a very dangerous man was sentenced to 300 years in New Jersey state prison,” Imhof said. “Rolando Terrell ruthlessly snuffed out the lives of four innocent people and then torched the house in an attempt to cover-up his crime. Even though he was already serving a life sentence we believed it was important that he be held accountable for these four senseless and brutal murders. The family deserved justice.”