Jersey City man who stabbed wife, 4 kids sentenced to 15 years

By Matthew Speiser | The Jersey Journal
October 31, 2014 at 5:34 PM

The Jersey City man who stabbed his wife, son and three stepdaughters in January 2011 was sentenced today to 15 years in prison.

Jai Finley, who pleaded guilty to attempted murder and aggravated assault stemming from the non-fatal stabbings, received a 15-year jail sentence and must serve 85 percent of the term before becoming eligible for parole.

"It's horrific what you did to me and my kids. You took away our ability to trust," Finley's wife, Tasheba Finley, said in a statement read aloud by Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Christina Krauthamer.

"If it was up to me you would be put away for the rest of your life to get the help you need."

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Stabbed Jersey City mother and four children all still in hospital

Saturday, January 22, 2011
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Three days after a Jersey City woman and her four children were stabbed multiple times, allegedly by her husband, all remain hospitalized, officials said.

Tasheba Finley, 35, and her 16-, 10- and eight-year-old daughters as well as the couple's six-year-old son, were allegedly stabbed by Jai D. Finley, 41, in the family's Rutgers Avenue home around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, officials said.

Tasheba Finley and her oldest daughter were rushed into surgery at the Jersey City Medical Center and a hospital spokesman said they were stable, doing well and recuperating Thursday. Yesterday, Tasheba was listed in stable condition, while the teen was listed in guarded condition.

The three younger children suffered relatively superficial wounds and were taken to University Hospital in Newark and a hospital spokesman said yesterday they were in stable condition. Police said Thursday that the three children were in good condition and out of their beds. Finley is the father of the 6-year-old only.

Police said the couple were accusing each other of infidelity when Finley launched into a blood rampage. Afterward he fled the apartment and was trying to kill himself when police arrested him after a fight, officials said.

Finley is undergoing psychological evaluation at the Hudson County jail in Kearny. He is being held on a $1 million bail.

Suspect in stabbing rampage drops his head as charges are read; bail set at $1 million and psychiatric evaluation is ordered

Thursday, January 20, 2011
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Bail was set at $1 million yesterday for the man accused of stabbing his wife and four children in their Jersey City home Tuesday night, and the prosecutor said he will be sent for psychological evaluation.

Jai D. Finley's face was bruised and swollen and doctors had stapled closed a cut above his right eye and cuts on his head when he appeared in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City with his hands cuffed and feet shackled.

Prosecutors had requested a $750,000 bail for the 41-year-old Rutgers Avenue man, calling him a danger to the community. But Central Judicial Processing Court Judge Richard Nieto said that the "particularly heinous" allegations called for an even higher bail, $1 million cash or bond.

The heavily tattooed Finley stood with his hands clenched in front of him and dropped his head when Nieto read the allegations against him.

A woman in the court gallery became hysterical. When Nieto asked her who she was, she said Finley is the father of her children. She declined to comment further outside the court.

Prosecutors described Finley as an NJ Transit bus driver for the past 11 years. Jersey City police said Finley was arrested in 1999 on relatively minor charges and was never imprisoned.

During the court hearing, Finley stood at times at the defense table with his eyes shut.

"Mr. Finley, I see that you have your eyes shut. Is there a reason for that?" the judge asked.

Finley shook his head, indicating there was no reason he had his eyes shut. "Can you hear me?" the judge persisted.

Finley finally whispered "Yes."

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16-year-old daughter badly hurt in stabbing rampage is known by schoolmates for being happy all the time

Thursday, January 20, 2011

University Academy Charter High School Classmates of Tasheba Finley's 16-year-old daughter know the stabbing victim as one of the happiest students at the Jersey City school.

Shakira Legrette, 16, who attends classes with the 16-year-old at the West Side Avenue school, said yesterday she was stunned when she received a text message about the stabbings.

"I cried all day today," Shakira said.

About the 16-year-old victim, she said: "She is the most happiest, all the time happy girl. She was never not happy."

Sonarri Scoudmire, 16, has known the victim since both were students at the Golden Door Charter School in Jersey City.

She is a "sweet girl," Sonarri said. "She always does what she got to do, stays away from trouble."

This girl and her mother, Tasheba Finley, the most seriously wounded of the five stabbing victims, were in serious but stable condition yesterday afternoon at the Jersey City Medical Center.

TERRENCE T. McDONALD

=======================

This was yesterdays news, your late with this one buddy!!!
I see that JCPD did a good job on him :)

Jersey City man accused in stabbing rampage is veteran bus driver, and so is his wife

Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Jersey City man accused of stabbing his wife and her four children Tuesday night has been a NJ Transit bus driver for more than a decade, NJ Transit said yesterday.

Jai D. Finley, 41, was immediately suspended without pay upon his arrest, according to NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel. Finley was hired as a bus driver in June 1999.

According to police, Finley stabbed his wife, Tasheba Finley, 35, along with her four children, ages 6, 8, 10 and 16, in the couple's Rutgers Avenue apartment on Tuesday night.

Tasheba Finley is also a bus operator for NJ Transit, Stessel said. She was hired in March 2001.

Both Finleys drove various bus routes in Hudson County and were based at the agency's garage in the Greenville section of Jersey City.

"This is a tragic situation. Our thoughts are with Tasheba and her children," Stessel said.

Stessel said he could not release any information regarding the couple's work performance.

TERRENCE T. McDONALD

===========================

Neighbor says couple whose lives exploded in bloody rampage were nice people and had been having arguments since last summer that "never settled down"

Thursday, January 20, 2011
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The neighbor who lives next door to the family involved in Tuesday night's stabbing rampage in Jersey City said yesterday the husband and wife had been fighting since the summer.

Margaret Simpson said the Finley family moved to Rutgers Avenue about two years ago and were nice neighbors. She said the husband, Jai Finley, 41, and his wife, Tasheba, 35, went to work as NJ Transit bus drivers every morning, had nice cars, and kept to themselves.


But "the problems (that) started back in the summer and whatever it was, it never settled down," Simpson said. "I feel bad for all of them."

Simpson said that after the attack, she heard her son, who was outside the apartment, screaming. Because she doesn't get around well, Simpson asked her granddaughter to see what was happening.

The girl ran back to Simpson's apartment saying the woman next door and her children had all been stabbed. Simpson called police and ran outside to find her son, Eric, giving aid to Tasheba Finley.

"She (Tasheba Finley) could hardly breathe," Simpson said, adding that she was bleeding heavily.

"It was horrible," Simpson said. "I wrapped her in a towel. She could hardly stand . I thought she was dead."

Within two minutes police and ambulances were on the scene.

A young woman who lives in a unit above the Finley apartment yesterday described Tasheba's 16-year-old daughter as a "good girl."

She said of their 6-year-old son: "To me, every time I saw him he was a calm guy."

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Jersey City police say 41-year-old father stabbed wife and four kids after quarrel over mutual allegations of 'cheating,' and was suicidal when arrested

Thursday, January 20, 2011
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

After accusing his wife of cheating on him, a 41-year-old Jersey City man stabbed the woman more than a dozen times Tuesday night and then stabbed her four children, the youngest of whom is his 6-year-old son, officials said yesterday.

Jai D. Finley, 41, of Rutgers Avenue, was arrested at 10:40 p.m. on Garfield Avenue, on his way to the Bayonne Bridge to kill himself, authorities said.


Finley was charged in the aggravated assault of his wife, Tasheba Finley, 35, and her 16, 10 and 8-year-old daughters and their 6-year-old son.

Tasheba Finley was stabbed more than a dozen times, including three times in the chest and twice in the abdomen, police said, adding that the 16-year-old was stabbed twice in the chest and twice in the abdomen.

The mother and 16-year-old were the most seriously wounded and they were rushed into surgery at the Jersey City Medical Center. Yesterday afternoon, a hospital spokesman said they were in serious but stable condition.

The three younger children were taken to University Hospital in Newark with relatively superficial wounds and were in stable condition by the afternoon.

"Each spouse was accusing the other of infidelity," Police Deputy Chief Peter Nalbach said at a press conference yesterday morning. "They were laying in bed and he said 'We can leave as friends,' and got up to shower."

Nalbach said that when Finley returned to the bed, he leaned over his wife, who thought he was going to kiss her.

"Instead, he started stabbing her," said Nalbach, adding that Finley then stabbed and slashed the children. "He calmly got dressed and left in the car."

The 16-year-old ran from the apartment and crossed paths with an upstairs neighbor who was coming to the aid of the victims. The neighbor called police and gave a description of Finley and his vehicle.

Moments later, the vehicle was spotted heading south on Garfield Avenue. When officers activated the lights on their police cruiser, Finley veered into an electrical substation at McAdoo Avenue, police said. Finley's vehicle crashed through a gate and then into a concrete structure.

Finley jumped out of the vehicle and climbed up to a power line and was hanging from it when an officer reached up and pulled him down, officials said.

Finley landed on one officer, knocking him out momentarily. The suspect was saying he wanted to die and was fighting with police as he was arrested, officials said.

Finley is charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault, aggravated assault on police officers, eluding police, resisting arrest and weapons offenses.

Nalbach said a hunting knife recovered at the scene is believed to have been used in the attacks. He also said Finley had given "a full statement to police, and he acknowledged his actions."

Officers responding to the family's home found blood on the floors, walls, stairs, railings and steps. Jersey City Police Director Sam Jefferson described the scene as "horrific."