A 20-year-old Long Island man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of a homeless man. Joseph Norton is accused of chasing down and killing Timothy Stark on the service road of Exit 64 on the Long Island Expressway in Medford on Monday afternoon.
According to Suffolk Police, the incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. when Norton, of Manorville, allegedly exited his vehicle and pursued Stark amid rush hour traffic. Prosecutors stated that Norton then used a 6-inch switchblade to stab Stark in the back before fleeing the scene in his car. Stark was transported to NYU Langone Hospital in Patchogue, where he was pronounced dead.
Patrol officers located Norton approximately five miles away at an intersection in Yaphank shortly after the incident. Prosecutors at Norton's arraignment Tuesday in First District Court in Central Islip alleged that he chased Stark across three intersections before stabbing him. Dashcam videos and witnesses were reportedly present during the event. Stark's injuries included a stab wound to the lung and heart.
Norton's attorney entered a denial to the murder charge, reminding the court that his client is presumed innocent. A judge ordered Norton held without bail, and he is scheduled to return to court on Thursday.
Stark was described by community members as a well-known and kind individual who often sat in a chair on the service road. Jake Sherack, a local resident, recounted regularly stopping with his son to give Stark food, remembering him as a "kind person." Tanika Quashie, who works at the nearby Medford DMV, placed candles at a memorial at the spot where Stark used to sit, telling News 12 Long Island, "He was somebody, and I want the world to know that."
It remains unclear what prompted the altercation between Norton and Stark.