On the afternoon of June 17, 2022, 37-year-old Charles Copling III was shot in an alley off the 1200 block of Decatur Street in the Whitman Park neighborhood of Camden, New Jersey. A ShotSpotter activation brought Camden County police to the scene, where Copling was found with a gunshot wound and taken to Cooper University Hospital; he died later that day.

The investigation identified 38-year-old Derrick Miller as a suspect and he was charged about a month later with first-degree murder and gun offenses. Two shell casings of different calibers were recovered at the scene, and surveillance footage showed more than two people entering the alley around the time of the shooting. A jailhouse call was recorded in which Miller said Copling had shot him first.

The jury’s February 2024 verdict and Miller’s release came after lengthy deliberation and trial testimony presenting those conflicting details. If anyone knew Charles Copling III or witnessed the June 17, 2022 shooting, please share what was seen or heard.