Judges toss key evidence in tragic Howell, NJ crash that killed 3-year-old girl

🔴 Samantha Bonora is charged with aggravated manslaughter

🔴 Cell phone records dating back 4 years can't be used at trial

🔴 Prosecutors will continue to pursue the case

HOWELL — An appellate court has thrown out evidence on a cell phone in connection with a horrible crash in Monmouth County that killed a 3-year-old girl.

Last year, Samantha Bonora, 32, of Howell, was indicted on charges including first-degree aggravated manslaughter, two counts of second-degree aggravated assault, and two counts of fourth-degree assault by auto.

Bonora was also issued summonses for driving while intoxicated, speeding, improper passing, failure to maintain lane, and driving with an expired license, according to court records.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said Bonora was behind the wheel of a Dodge Ram pickup truck that, while trying to pass a vehicle, crashed head-on into a Jeep Grand Cherokee on Route 34 on Jan. 13, 2024.

Toddler Kylie Williams was killed in the crash. Her mother, 2-year-old brother, and aunt were also injured.

Cell phone records in the Kylie Williams case

On Tuesday, the appellate division ruled that prosecutors cannot use four years of Bonora's cell phone records.

In their ruling, the judges said the search warrant was overly broad, violating constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure.

An officer said the information on the phone would show Bonora's history of substance abuse and drug deals.

Bonora had challenged the validity of the search warrant that investigators used to look through data from Jan. 1, 2020, through the day of the crash, more than four years later.

Her lawyer, Steven Nelson, said to NJ.com that the charge against Bonora should be second-degree vehicular homicide, not first-degree aggravated manslaughter. The decision could make that a reality.

Samantha Bonora's history of substance abuse before fatal crash

According to court records, Bonora has prior convictions for driving while intoxicated and arrests for drug possession.

In 2010, she was convicted of DWI. Five years later, she was convicted of the same offense plus refusal to take a breathalyzer.

ALSO SEE: How independent voters could decide NJ's next governor

In 2020 and 2022, Bonora was also arrested for possession of controlled dangerous substances.

A toxicology report said that Bonora had several drugs in her system after the fatal Jan. 13, 2024 crash.

Those substances included methadone, morphine, fentanyl, an animal tranquilizer identified as xylazine, and lamotrigine. At the time, Bonora was taking 95 mg of methadone a day for opioid use disorder."

How prosecutors can still pursue charges against Bonora

Even though prosecutors can't use Bonora's cell phone records against her if the case goes to trial, there are other key pieces of evidence.

That includes the toxicology report of Bonora's blood, which was sampled around three hours after the crash.

Ten days after the crash, investigators executed a separate search warrant that allowed them to comb through Bonora's wrecked pickup truck.

Anything found in the vehicle, including a bottle of methadone prescribed to Bonora and two GPS units, can be used as evidence.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom