Newark man sentenced after girlfriend fatally stabbed

A 38-year-old Newark man was sentenced to 33 years in prison for the stabbing death of his girlfriend in September 2017.

He was sentenced on September 20 — nearly two years after the fatal stabbing.

Newark police were called to check on the welfare of Sherrie Campbell, 34, at her home off of Casho Mill Road after she failed to pick up her son at day care.

When the officers entered the house, they found Campbell stabbed multiple times. She was pronounced dead there.

BACKGROUND

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Evidence at the scene linked Rondell Veal to the crime, according to court documents.

Newark police believed Veal fled to New York City and asked for help there. He was found a couple of days later after Veal was brought to a hospital with injuries he incurred from a train while trying to kill himself, police said.

Newark police charged him with first-degree murder and possession of a weapon while committing a felony. 

Veal pleaded guilty, but mentally ill, in April to second-degree murder and possession of a weapon while committing a felony. 

A Superior Court judge also sentenced Veal to six months of either home confinement or work release and two years of probation following his 33 years in prison.

Campbell's death was Newark's first homicide in almost three years. The last before hers took place on Nov. 13, 2014, when 20-year-old Marcus Johnson of Newark was fatally wounded during a botched robbery.

Veal is in custody at the James T. Vaughn Correction Center near Smyrna.

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Have a court or data story idea? Contact Nick Perez at (302) 324-2856, nperez@gannett.com or Twitter @nickdnperez.