L-R: Anthony Gamble, Kevin Rosero, Joshua Gamble (Gamble brothers via Bucks County (Penn.) District Attorney’s Office; Rosero via GoFundMe).
Two New Jersey brothers have confessed to their roles in the murder of a third New Jersey man who was killed just months before he was set to start classes in pursuit of a master’s degree.
Kevin Rosero, 26, died on June 16, 2021, in Pennsylvania. His body was found in a wooded area along East Pumping Station Road in Richland Township, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
The sad and gruesome discovery was made by Pennsylvania State Troopers within an hour or so of the slaying. His two assailants were almost instantly caught. Over time, they both accepted legal culpability for the parts they played in extinguishing Rosero’s light.
Joshua David Gamble, 19, pleaded guilty to robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, theft, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse in November 2022, according to Bucks County court records obtained by Law&Crime. On Monday, his elder brother, Anthony Joel Gamble, 22, pleaded guilty to murder in the third degree and criminal conspiracy to commit robbery.
Pennsylvania is one of only three U.S. jurisdictions with a third-degree murder statute still on the books. The maximum sentence for third-degree murder there is 40 years in state prison.
On June 17, 2021, just minutes after midnight, troopers noticed two cars parked on the side of the road. One of those cars, a Subaru, was flashing its hazards in the common sign of distress. An Audi, without active blinkers, was parked roughly 100 feet away from the Subaru.
First, law enforcement found Joshua Gamble, the DA’s office said in a press release. He was laying on the ground in the woods, apparently trying to hide. Around him, tell-tale evidence suggested that a brutal crime had been committed, and he had been a part of it: blood on his shoes, a plastic-coated work glove on his left hand, and in his possession, the crimson-stained key fob to a Subaru. The companion glove was recovered from the spot where he was laying.
After detaining the first suspect, the troopers heard the rustle of a runner nearby. Soon enough, Anthony Gamble was caught and placed into custody as well, the DA’s office said. The second suspect was also covered in blood – on his shoes and his shirt this time. And in his pants pockets, he had two plastic-coated “work-type” gloves.
The investigation then turned to the Audi. Inside the luxury car, which had Florida plates, troopers found a substantial amount of blood and called for backup, according to the DA’s office.
Near the Audi was Rosero – laying on the ground close to where Joshua Gamble had been found trying to hide moments earlier. Troopers said the deceased man appeared to have been dragged there. An autopsy later determined that Rosero had been stabbed 28 times in the face, neck, upper torso, and upper extremities.
Inside the Audi, on the passenger floor, was a large knife covered in blood. A cellphone was also recovered from inside the car. Sanitizing wipes and a second cellphone were found on the roof of the vehicle.
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As it turned out, the attempted cover-up was hasty and cut short by the presence of law enforcement. Pennsylvania State Police determined the sanitizing wipes had been purchased from a nearby 7-Eleven store just 20 minutes before troopers arrived on the scene.
The Rutgers graduate, who dreamed of becoming an immigration lawyer and would have begun class the coming September, was apparently killed over a matter of just a few hundred dollars.
“An analysis of Anthony Gamble’s cellphone showed searches for ‘7 eleven,’ ‘junk yards near me,’ and ‘can soap wash off fingerprints,”” the DA’s office explained in their latest press release. “An analysis of Joshua Gamble’s cellphone showed a $400 transfer from Rosero’s CashApp account made at 11:20 p.m. on June 16, 2021, 43 minutes before troopers spotted the vehicles and began the investigation.”
Anthony Gamble is slated to be sentenced on Nov. 13. Joshua Gamble is slated to be sentenced on Nov. 27. Both will be sentenced by Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey L. Finley, the DA’s office told Law&Crime.
Rosero and his parents hailed from Ecuador. He wanted to live a life helping people in the world who needed it the most.
“He’s someone who always brought light to everyone — but his flame burned differently,” Khushwant Pall, a friend who met the aspiring immigration lawyer at Raritan Valley Community College, told NJ.com in 2021. “He was not only a man of God, he was an incredible son, an extraordinary student and and amazing friend. His demeanor and everything about him was something that’s hard to find in this world. He always stood up for the right things. He stood up for justice.”
A GoFundMe for the slain man aims to keep his memory alight.
“Kevin’s dream was to help Immigrants and Young Adults get educated and pursue their dreams,” the fundraiser reads. “We hope, through this GoFundMe we will also be able to assist individuals to pay for their education.”
Bucks County Deputy District Attorney Monica W. Furber said Rosero’s family is relieved the two brothers took responsibility – but that those admissions ultimately offered little solace.
“They are devastated,” she said.
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