Kelsey Steels, 31, a male resident of the Bronx, New York, was found fatally shot on March 4, 2022. Hikers discovered his body on a trail in Eagle Rock Reservation, a park bordering West Orange and Montclair, New Jersey; he was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:16 p.m.

Investigators say two men from outside New Jersey were identified as primary suspects: 71-year-old Michael Verdel of the Bronx and 31-year-old Posley Sulaiman of Detroit, Michigan. Authorities allege Verdel and Sulaiman met Steels at Verdel’s apartment in the Bronx, transported him to the reservation in New Jersey, and that Steels was shot there. A motive has not been publicly disclosed, though the charges include robbery-related counts.

Both men were charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, conspiracy and robbery, plus second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Verdel was arrested in New York and extradited to New Jersey; Sulaiman was already in custody at Rikers Island on an unrelated gun charge when he was charged in this case. Anyone with information is asked to come forward.