Crime & Safety
Gary Wilson Pleads Guilty in 2009 Bradley Gardens Murder
The township resident will be sentenced to 45 years for the murder of Carolyn Stone.
Bradley Gardens resident Gary Wilson pleaded guilty Wednesday in Superior Court to murdering Carolyn Stone, 45, in the backyard of a Bradley Gardens home on Memorial Day 2009.
According to a plea agreement with the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, Wilson, 28, will be sentenced to 45 years in state prison.
Because it is a first-degree crime, Wilson will have to serve 85 percent of the sentence, or 38 years, before being eligible for parole.
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As part of the agreement, Wilson also agreed to testify against his two co-defendants, Bridgewater residents Rocky DiTaranto and David Granskie Jr., who are still awaiting trial.
All other charges against Wilson, including one for aggravated sexual assault, were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
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During the hearing, Wilson told the judge that he and friends were attending a Memorial Day barbecue at an Oak Street home, where Stone lived with , and became intoxicated after drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana and snorting cocaine. In the middle of the night, Wilson said, DiTaranto led Stone, who was also intoxicated, into the backyard of the home.
Wilson said he went with them.
From there, Wilson said, DiTaranto had sex with Stone on the ground, keeping his hands on her neck to keep her down. After DiTaranto had sex with her, Wilson said, he was supposed to have sex with her too, but didn't.
Wilson said he then dropped a cinder block three times on her head to keep her quiet.
Wilson's plea Wednesday came after a hearing earlier this year to determine if his right against self-incrimination had been violated. During interrogation by police in 2009, Wilson allegedly said, "I just murdered someone."
The judge did not render a decision in that hearing.
Wilson told the judge during the hearing that he is taking several medications, including some for mental illness and suicidal tendencies.
Sentencing for Wilson is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 7, with Superior Court Judge John Pursel presiding.
DiTaranto and Granskie Jr. are being held on $1 million bail.
The prosecution's case was presented by Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Rocchietti.
