Trial of 1st suspect in NJ schoolyard murders revisits tragedy that changed a city

Triple-death trial revisits Newark’s turning point

NEWARK, N.J. — New Jersey’s largest city is about to relive a tragedy that became a turning point for it.

Jury selection is scheduled Friday in the trial of the first of six suspects in the slaying of three friends in a schoolyard in 2007.

Rodolfo Godinez (goh-DEE’-nez) has been held on $1.5 million bail since his arrest in the weeks after the killings. He faces murder, robbery and weapons charges.

The shocking deaths of Terrance Aeriel, Iofemi (yoh-FEH’-mee) Hightower and Dashon (duh-SHAHN’) Harvey led to anti-crime measures that are credited with helping drive down Newark’s notoriously high violent crime rate.

A fourth victim survived stab and gunshot wounds and is expected to testify at the trial. The victim isn’t being identified by The Associated Press because of sexual assault charges against two of the defendants.

(This version CORRECTS a victim’s last name to Hightower, instead of Hightowner.)