Life in prison for NJ man who executed his pregnant ex while kids were steps away

A 46-year-old Plainfield man has been sentenced to life in prison for shooting his pregnant ex-girlfriend in the head.

Shakir Tyler was found guilty by a jury in February of the first-degree murder of 35-year-old Tayeesha Harris-Webb, of Edison.

Tyler was also convicted of unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose.

It has unfolded as another New Jersey case in which a history of domestic violence at the hands of an ex-partner escalated to the tragic outcome of a mother's life being cut short.

On Sept. 4, 2021, Harris-Webb, a mother of five children, was shot to death just outside a rear door to her Edison residence along Wintergreen Avenue West.

Victim was the mother of accused murderer's son

Tyler had a history of domestic violence involving Harris-Webb, with whom he had a son.

The victim's grandmother told police that on the night of the murder, Tyler was "acting strange" and would not hold his son, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Tyler arrived near the rear exit of the woman's apartment, her grandmother said.

Some time after the grandmother had left, the victim told her daughter to take her brothers upstairs while she went outside to talk to Tyler, the girl told police. She never saw her mother return inside.

A neighbor told police that he heard a gunshot. When he looked through the window, he saw a man with dreadlocks speed off on a motorcycle.

The victim was found lying on her back near her rear door. Harris-Webb was pronounced dead at the scene, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said.

Her ex was tracked down to Pennsylvania, where he surrendered to Allentown police.

Tyler was sentenced on Wednesday by Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Thomas Abode.

Read More: Prison for ex-corrections officer who admits killing 2 NJ women

Harris-Webb grew up in Plainfield. She was remembered at a funeral service at Plainfield High School, where she graduated in 2004.

Harris-Webb is remembered as a "beautiful mother, daughter, sister and friend" in a GoFundMe campaign that raised several thousand dollars for her surviving children.

Homicide cases with long histories of domestic violence

Earlier this year, also in Middlesex County, a 38-year-old mother of four was strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend, officials said.

Read More: NJ courts kept letting him go until mom of 4 was killed

Roman Romanovskiy has remained in jail, since being charged with murder and child endangerment charges in the January killing of Lauren Saldana, in front of their 5-year-old son and steps from the victim's newborn child.

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