Armed robber faces life in prison for murder of NJ convenience store clerk

⚫ SC man found guilty of NJ clerk’s murder

⚫ Victim was shot and killed during armed robbery

⚫ Convicted killer faces life in prison

A South Carolina man has been convicted of murder, stemming from the shooting death of an Edison convenience store clerk, nearly five years ago.

On Tuesday, a Middlesex County Superior Court jury found 27-year-old Marcus Wright guilty in the murder of 38-year-old John Bertram after a week-long trial.

Bertram, a clerk at the store of the Speedway Gas Station on Amboy Avenue in Edison, was killed by a single gunshot on Dec. 20, 2018.

Just over two weeks after the deadly armed robbery, Wright and Olya Quinnam were both arrested in South Carolina.

While still incarcerated there, Wright got into a deadly fight with his SC cellmate, using an object to hit and kill him.

Quinnam pleaded guilty to armed robbery and faced a 15-year sentence.

She testified against Wright in a deal that could shorten her prison term to 10 years, as reported by CBS New York.

Bertam, of the Fords section of Woodbridge had been working at the store for about eight months, according to an online obituary.

It continued “He was a gentle giant, always helpful, and a man true to his word. He loved to garden and will be missed by all who knew him.”

Wright was also convicted of armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

He would face a term of life in prison without parole, when sentenced on Nov. 1.

CBS New York shared a report from the first day of Wright's trial.

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