Eddy Vilus gets life without parole for Asbury Park murder

Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn sentenced Eddy Vilus to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 10 years with five years of parole ineligibility, for the shooting death of 21-year-old God Allah in Asbury Park. Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced the sentence on June 19.

The punishment followed a month-long trial that ended on February 12, 2026, when a jury convicted Vilus of first-degree murder, first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, two counts of third-degree hindering apprehension, third-degree theft, third-degree receiving stolen property, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon involving a handgun, and fourth-degree possession of a prohibited weapon. Assistant Prosecutors Joseph Cummings and William Visone handled the case for the state.

The killing unfolded in broad daylight. At about 2:15 p.m. on February 2, 2023, Asbury Park police responded to reports of gunfire near Ridge and Springwood avenues and found Allah suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 2:45 p.m.

Investigators with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and the Asbury Park Police Department identified Vilus and Quamere M. Smith, both of Asbury Park, as suspects. Charges tied to Allah’s death were filed on February 10, 2023. Vilus was arrested later that day during a traffic stop and was carrying a loaded handgun when officers took him into custody.

Smith, who was already housed at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution on separate charges when he was served, later pleaded guilty on October 6, 2025, to first-degree murder and first-degree conspiracy to commit murder before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley. Prosecutors intended to seek up to 30 years in state prison for Smith under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, which would require 85% of the term to be served before parole eligibility.