Man found guilty of manslaughter in fatal stabbing of motorist in N.J. road rage incident

Everett E. Moore Jr. appears before Judge M. Christine Allen-Jackson in Gloucester County Superior Court for the opening statements of his murder trial, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. Moore was charged in the 2018 road rage killing of Joseph Pirri, 32, of Blackwood.

A jury found a Gloucester County man guilty of manslaughter and two weapons charges Thursday in the stabbing death of a motorist in a 2018 road rage incident.

Everett E. Moore Jr., 58, of Clayton, was accused of slashing 32-year-old Joseph Pirri, of Blackwood, in the face as the victim sat in his car.

Moore was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon. Superior Court Judge Christine Allen-Jackson presided over the trial.

Moore is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26 at 9 a.m. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

Moore was indicted in 2018 on first-degree murder and weapons possession charges.

While driving in a snowstorm on March 7, 2018, Moore illegally passed Pirri’s car on Tanyard Road in Deptford, according to prosecutors.

Moore then stopped his vehicle in front of Pirri’s car, got out and attacked him, prosecutors said.

Pirri suffered a 5 3/4-inch slash from his nose to his ear and left a trail of blood in the snow as he ran to nearby homes seeking help. He provided a description of the suspect and his vehicle before dying from his injuries several days later.

Pirri, a married father of two who was on his way home from work, can be heard on a 911 call saying the incident began when he “flipped off” his assailant in response to Moore illegally passing his car.

Based on surveillance camera footage from multiple spots, witness interviews and cellphone data, police identified Moore as their suspect and arrested him in April 2018 on a charge of first-degree murder. The assault was not caught on video.

The defense argued the state’s case was entirely circumstantial and that it had no evidence of Moore’s involvement in the killing.

Moore has remained jailed since his arrest in 2018.

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Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.

Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com.

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