He Free! He Free-e-e-ee: Community Celebrates LaShawn Fitch’s Release and Prison Reform Victory
- Karen Brittingham-Edmond
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
December 10, 2025
Social Justice Victory
Bridgerton, New Jersey - Mr. LaShawn Fitch, a New Jersey citizen, was released from prison on December 4, 2025, after receiving clemency. His release follows 17 years of incarceration for a 2008 murder in Eatontown, a crime he has always maintained he did not commit. New Jersey Monitor: NJ man granted clemency walks free with plan to fight for prison justice | News From The States
According to reports from "News from The States" reporter Dana DiFilippo, for 17 years, Fitch maintained his innocence regarding the 2008 Eatontown murder that led to his 40-year sentence. On Thursday, December 4th Fitch was welcomed by a jubilant crowd of family and supporters outside South Woods State Prison after Governor Phil Murphy commuted his sentence. He is among 283 individuals who have received clemency under Murphy's statewide reform initiative.
Although delayed for two hours before his scheduled release time on December 4th, Fitch did not allow the stalling efforts of the prison system to steal his joy! While waiting and being an excellent steward with his time young Mr. Fitch took time to embrace loved ones, FaceTime friends, deliver a speech, and prepare for his new chapter before leaving the prison grounds for good. His comrade for justice Mr. Derrick Hamilton encouraged Fitch to finally leave, by humorously stating to Fitch that "You’ve been here long enough." Laugh out loud. Young Mr. Fitch made it clear his fight for justice is far from over. Per reporter Dana DiFilippo of "News From The States" online media took a picture of a moving moment the moment Fitch walked toward his mother, Mrs. Barbara Robinson, after his release.
Fitch declared, "I’m not going to stop until my name is exonerated." He remains committed to helping others fight for justice and has several lawsuits still pending against the prison system. Fitch's determination has long been recognized by those who know him. While incarcerated at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, Fitch became a paralegal and director of the inmate legal association, advocating for prisoners' rights and legal access. He filed grievances, sued the state, and publicly challenged issues such as solitary confinement and lingering pandemic restrictions. Fitch believes his transfer to South Woods, the state's largest facility, was retaliation for his activism—a move he is also contesting in court. Asbury Park Press: Why did Gov. Murphy decide to free killers of Jersey Shore victims?
Upon his release, Fitch thanked Governor Murphy for his boldness in granting clemency and urged Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill to continue these reforms. Fitch emphasized that many others deserve the same opportunity for freedom.
Fitch also blasted New Jersey’s worst-in-the-nation racial disparities in its prison population and urged lawmakers to act on Murphy’s stalled plan to stop sending technical parole violators back to prison. Those are people who break the conditions of their parole via minor infractions such as a dirty urine which is a petty offense, that instead are reincarcerated as if they created a new crime which is illegal. Two exonerees, Mr. Derrick Hamilton and Mr. Sean Washington, joined Fitch’s family to celebrate his release. Hamilton was exonerated after 14 years in a New York case, and Washington was cleared in 2020 in Camden. Both became friends with Fitch while incarcerated in Trenton.
Both men celebrated with Fitch, sharing hugs and high-fives as they remembered their own days of finally becoming free after being imprisoned. Washington remarked on the challenges of returning to a rapidly changing world, noting, "Everything’s changed over the years. It’s a rough transition." Hamilton, now deputy director of the Cardozo School of Law’s Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice, expressed confidence in Fitch’s future. The center has been working on Fitch’s case for two years, aiming to fully exonerate him. "We will do everything we can to find evidence to exonerate him," Hamilton said.
Echo News TV LLC reporter Umar Muhajjir will conduct an exclusive interview with Fitch, a moment sure to inspire citizens far and near in New Jersey that there is hope, truth, and power when demanding that your rights be respected, enforced, and provided regardless of whether you are Black or a White citizen in America. "Which America? North America!" quote from movie "Head of State."
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