Suspects Found in Slaying of Newlywed Couple

Murdered New Jersey Couple Nia Haqq and Michael Muchioki

On April 3rd, Nia Haqq and Michael Muchioki were returning from their engagement party. That night, they were robbed and murdered, with each of them being shot twice in the head. Samuel Jefferson, the Police director of Jersey City, N.J., told Essence.com:

"We found them. Right now we have four arrests. We have the weapon and we have the evidence. And we possibly have someone admitting to the crime, that they were there. Right now, we have one man and two females.

"This was a random act of crime and opportunity. Unfortunately, the devil was on their side for that brief moment. Hopefully now the families can rest and the residents of Jersey City will know these people are off the streets, and we recovered the weapon. This department that I am the head of, the Police Chief, the men and women in blue, they felt their heart rip on this case. It was more than just a job. We feel very good that we were able to solve this right now."

The suspects took Haqq's engagement ring, and Muchioki's wallet. They also took their cell phones and gift cards from the engagement party.

Obviously, this story is one of the most painful we've seen all year, since it is difficult to hear that such a terrible thing happened to a young couple right as they were beginning their life together. What is also problematic about this tragedy is that there seems to be a long list of disturbing crimes coming out of the state of New Jersey. This month, a 7-year old girl was allegedly gang raped in a New Jersey housing project. Just a month earlier, a man threw his 2-year-old child off a bridge, right at the time that the child's mother was filing for an order of protection.

Most of us are at a loss for words when hearing about what happened to this couple. At the very least, if there is a statistically proven pattern of excessive violence in the state of New Jersey, then the police should be given the resources to fight crime more effectively. Additionally, these experiences teach us to cherish the precious life we have on this earth and the time we have with our loved ones. Go speak to someone in your family and tell them you love them right now.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the new book, "Black American Money." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.