Edward Cagney Mathews Handed 8 Years In Prison For Bias Intimidation Against Black Neighbors

Marc Griffin
·2 min read
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Edward Cagney Mathews has been sentenced to eight years in prison for bias intimidation. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the white man, who went viral in 2021 for calling his Black neighbor racial slurs, appeared in court on Friday (Dec. 8).

Mount Holly, NJ’s Superior Court Judge Gerard H. Breland handed down the sentence as Mathews cried in court. The judge asserted that he would need to serve at least four years of his sentence behind bars before parole eligibility. Mathews, who spent two years in jail, apologized to his neighbors. He referred to his remarks as “insensitive and disrespectful words.” “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future,” Mathews told the court. “I want to commit to rebuild the community.”

The 2021 video in question saw Mathews call his Mount Laurel, NJ, neighbors racial slurs during a tirade. The Philly Voice reported at the time that Edward was caught on video labeling them as “monkeys” and the N-word. He bumped chests with an unnamed Black man in the video and spit on him. Mathews then demanded his neighbors “to come see me,” challenging them to a fight. The Mount Laurel Police Department investigated the case and filed a harassment complaint against the man.

In July 2021, Mathews was arrested and taken into police custody. Throughout the investigation, MLP found that numerous complaints had been filed against Mathews. The outlet reported that Edward exhibited similar behavior five years before his detainment. An additional investigation found that the man put feces on his Black neighbor’s porches. He also routinely called them “monkeys,” terrorized them via email, and shot at their vehicles with BB guns.

Mathews will be credited for the 886 days he has already served in jail. Judge Breland also demanded Mathews pay $4,408 in restitution fees. Edward will be subjected to mandatory racial sensitivity training while in prison.

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