Former police lieutenant convicted of murdering estranged wife – Law Officer

MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. – John Formisano was a lieutenant with the Newark Police Department in New Jersey when he shot and killed his his estranged wife and attempted to kill her new boyfriend in July 2019.

On Monday, Formisano, 52, was found guilty by a Morris County Superior Court jury after an eight-day trial and roughly two days of deliberations, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll confirmed on Tuesday, NJ1015.com reported.

Formisano was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Christie Solaro–Formisano, 37, and the first-degree attempted murder of Timothy Simonson, 40, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Prosecutors said the former lieutenant with 24 years on the job shot the victims on the night of July 14, 2019, while two minor children were in the Jefferson Township home. As a result, Formisano was also convicted of two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Furthermore, even though Formisano was off-duty at the time, he was also found guilty of official misconduct, weapons charges, and a charge for hindering apprehension or prosecution, Law&Crime reported. 

“At approximately 11:21PM, members of the Jefferson Township Police Department were dispatched to 1 Mirror Place for 9-1-1 calls of shots fired. Upon arrival, first responding officers located a deceased woman’s body lying on the front porch steps of 5 Mirror Place,” prosecutors said. “The deceased woman was subsequently identified as Christie Formisano, age 37, of Jefferson Township, New Jersey. A second victim, Timothy Simonson, age 40, was located with multiple gunshot wounds inside the residence of 1 Mirror Place. Two minor children were also located inside the residence.”

The shooting victims were discovered in different locations because Christie, already wounded, ran from the residence in her attempt to escape. However, she was murdered in front of a neighbor’s home two houses down.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said following Formisano’s 2019 arrest that he was taken into custody at his parents’ home in Livingston, just hours after the shooting occurred in Jefferson Township, Law Officer previously reported.

“At approximately 2:00AM on July 15, 2019 the defendant was located in Livingston, New Jersey, and was taken into custody by law enforcement. The firearm used by the defendant was recovered in the trunk of the car the defendant was driving,” Morris County prosecutors said.

Simonson testified at trial against the man who tried to kill him. He said he had been dating Solaro-Formisano for about one month prior to the shooting.

Formisano repeatedly rejected plea deal offers of 40-years in prison, reported NJ.com. Now he faces up to life in prison when sentenced. A sentencing date has not been set.