After 48 Years in Prison, Court Considers Release of Sundiata Acoli

WNYC News | Feb 4, 2022

It's been nearly 50 years since a member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army was convicted in the shooting death of a New Jersey state trooper in East Brunswick.

Sundiata Acoli received a life sentence plus 24 years for the murder of Werner Foerster. Acoli, now 85 and suffering from dementia, has repeatedly been denied parole over the last 30 years.

Earlier this week, his longtime attorneys and civil rights lawyers went before the state Supreme Court to press for his release.

Reporter S.P. Sullivan has been covering this story for The Star Ledger and NJ Advance Media. He spoke about it with WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill. 

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