Mosley Pleads Guilty in Angstadt’s Murder

COURT HOUSE – On Dec. 19, Charles Mosley, who had been suspected of being involved with co-defendant Derrick Powers in the November 2015 murder of 15-year-old Nicole “Nikki” Angstadt, has pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter. Powers confessed to first-degree armed robbery, second-degree robbery, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and third-degree burglary.  
These plea agreements came after October’s revelation by the prosecution that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was verifying the veracity of a letter of confession purportedly penned by Mosley and witnessed by an unnamed individual, as well as the growing realization that a rift was developing between Mosley and Powers over who was responsible for the killing of Angstadt.
During the Oct. 24 hearing, Powers’ lawyer, Michael Schreiber was sufficiently emboldened by the reported confession letter to hint that he would win a jury trial by pinning the blame on Mosley.
Ed Weinstock, defense attorney for Mosley, asked for multiple handwriting examinations of the letter during the October appearance, but Schreiber responded by saying, “If there is a witness to this, I don’t need a handwriting expert. I’ll let a jury decide by seeing the letter.”
Details Emerge
Appearing separately before Superior Court Judge John Porto, the co-defendants’ lawyers revealed details of their confessed crimes after acknowledging that they were waiving their right to a trial by jury. The personal recollections allow for an emerging account to be pieced together.
Powers’ statements recall that on Nov. 29, 2015, he had secured alcohol and “significant amounts” of marijuana that he intended to imbibe after breaking into an abandoned house on Vermont Avenue in Rio Grande. With him were Mosley and Angstadt.
According to previous reports, Angstadt was last seen on Nov. 28.
During the time in the house, Angstadt and Mosley had sexual relations. Mosley testified that a bit later, he learned that Angstadt was actually interested in Powers. Pulling her into another room, Mosley, 34, says he confronted the female minor. After he was slapped by Angstadt, Mosley says he became enraged and choked the young girl “with such force that he killed her.”
Powers subsequently confessed to a spree of robberies involving minors in the Rio Grande area.
On Dec. 5, 2015, Powers and his brother, LaQuan Harris, used verbal threats to rob a minor identified as “D.K.” of a mobile phone and cash. Three days later, the brothers used a pellet gun to rob a minor denoted as “N.R.” of a mobile phone and cash as well. Powers confessed that the intended use of a pellet gun was to be representative of a real weapon.
Questions Unanswered
The plea agreements have left many aspects of the murder unanswered.
Who was responsible for fracturing Angstadt’s skull? Who did Powers call using the victim’s phone? Who carried out the desecration of the body and concealed it in the abandoned house’s crawl space? Why did Harris insist that Powers was responsible for the murder?
It is understandable that the family and friends of Angstadt would want to be spared what may have been made public if the case had gone to a trial by jury. 
Proposed Sentencing
For Mosley, the charge of first-degree aggravated manslaughter will land him in New Jersey State Prison for either 25 years and six months (followed by five years of probation), or 30 years, with the determination being made at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 5, 2018.
Powers will serve at least 85 percent of a 10-year sentence for first-degree armed robbery in relation to the Dec. 8, 2015, robbery; a sentence that will also allow the concurrent serving of a seven-year sentence for the Dec. 5, 2015, second-degree robbery charge, and two four-year sentences for third-degree endangering a child and third-degree burglary.
Powers will be sentenced at 10 a.m. Feb. 8, 2018.
The family of Angstadt declined to comment.
To contact Christopher Knoll, email cknoll@cmcherald.com.