Prosecutor: 33-Year-Old Area Man Gets Life in Prison for 2023 Murder

A 33-year-old area man has been sentenced to life in prison plus ten years on murder and weapons charges stemming from a fatal 2023 shooting, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Friday.

Eddy Vilus, of Asbury Park, was sentenced on Tuesday before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn. Vilus received life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus ten years with five years of parole ineligibility.

Following a month-long trial before Judge Butehorn, Vilus was found guilty by a jury on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026 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 (handgun), and fourth-degree possession of a prohibited weapon.

The case background …

At approximately 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, Asbury Park police responded to the area of Ridge and Springwood avenues on a report of gunfire. There, the officers found the victim, 21-year-old God Allah, who had sustained a gunshot wound. He was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 2:45 p.m.

An investigation involving members of the MCPO Major Crimes Bureau and the Asbury Park Police Department resulted in the identification of Vilus and 34-year-old Quamere M. Smith, also of Asbury Park, as suspects. Vilus, specifically, was identified as the person responsible for the shooting.

Charges related to Allah’s death were filed against the pair on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. Vilus was found and arrested without incident during a traffic stop in Asbury Park later that same day, when he was found to be in possession of a loaded handgun. Smith was served his charges while already in custody at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) on separate charges.

Smith pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and first-degree conspiracy to commit murder on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in front of Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley.

The state intends to seek a term for Smith of up to 30 years in state prison, with 85 percent of the sentence to be served before the possibility of parole under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA). Smith’s sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 23.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office