New Brunswick man gets 40 year sentence for the murder of former Rutgers Student
Billy McCaw was murdered in 2014
On Monday, March 20, Timothy Puskas was sentenced to 40 years in jail for the murder of former Rutgers student, Billy McCaw, in 2014. The sentence gives Puskas the ability to receive parole after serving a good portion of his sentence. However, the family and friends of Billy McCaw were not satisfied with this sentencing, and want to pursue getting Puskas a life sentence without parole.
On the weekend of February 14, 2014, William “Billy” McCaw, 22, visited friends and attended parties at Rutgers University. McCaw left a frat party alone to spend the night at a friend’s house on Robinson Street. Unfortunately, he never made it as he was beaten to death and left outside in the cold in a backyard on Hartwell Street. During the trial, it was made clear that McCaw and Puskas did not know each other. Puskas was upset with his roommates at the time because he believed they were stealing from him and he ended up taking out his anger on McCaw.
Puskas’ 4o year sentencing will coincide with the 7-year sentencing that he received in 2015, after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Leonel Lopez Hernandez as a result of reckless driving.
Puskas was sentenced by Judge Dennis Nieves. According to NJ.com, the Judge remarked:”You probably deserve a life sentence because that poor kid, Mr. McCaw, was brutally beaten on a cold night,” Nieves said.
McCaw’s friends and family were present at the sentencing, with some even coming from Europe. As NJ.com reported, his father Bob McCaw said:”We as, a family, chose to forgive you,
“We are asking you to be judged by man’s law, but we forgive you under the ultimate law, God’s law.”
Puskas showed no remorse and stayed silent throughout his sentencing.