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Gedalia Shaffers Murderer Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison

Press Telegram

Gedalia Shaffer OBM

LONG BEACH, CA — A 30-year-old Los Angeles man pleaded no contest Wednesday to a charge that he killed a 61-year-old rabbi while driving drunk two years ago.

Willie Norton Jr., 30, entered his plea – considered the same as a guilty plea in criminal court – as jury selection was slated to begin in his trial Wednesday, said Long Beach Police Sgt. Hans Kohnlein.

After entering his plea Norton was promptly sentenced to 17 years in prison, said Kohnlein, who is in charge of the Accident Investigations Detail.

The victim, [Gedalia] Shaffer, was visiting from Brooklyn, New York, on March 7, 2007, when the fatal crash occurred.

The car Shaffer was driving – a white 2007 Saturn Ion – was hit by Norton’s gold 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood and Shaffer was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said then that Norton’s Cadillac spun out of control after he was hit by a Los Angeles Metro bus near Pacific Coast Highway and Long Beach Boulevard.

Investigators said Norton appeared to be drunk and the cause of the crash. He was eventually arrested and charged with the rabbi’s death in October of 2007.

Relatives of Shaffer said the rabbi – who lived in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York – was in Long Beach on a business trip at the time of his death.

The driver of the Metro bus, a 24-year-old Whittier man, was never charged in the fatal crash.

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11 Comments

  • cs

    There is no comment to make. Gedaliah is gone. Noone can begin to imagine the tragedy of this loss. the driver will and can never know what he has caused. May Hashem have rachmonus and send Moshiach “hakitzu v’raninu shochvei ofor”

  • Boruch ben Tzvi (A H)HaKohaine Hoffinger

    BS”D
    I walked Gedalia Shaffer home from Rabbi Shimon Hecht’s shul in the Prospect Park area, on a ‘Telucha,’ within the year that this tragedy happened. I didn’t know him well, but we had a nice conversation as we walked through Prospect Park on the way towards Empire Blvd. He explained ‘Shluach HaKane’ to me according to Kabbalah. It was fascinating.
    I was shocked and saddened to hear the awful, wrenching, ugly and painful news of his death.
    I don’t know if putting someone in jail is ‘justice’ but, at least it’s something.
    To me jail is cruel and unusual punishment. Better flogging.
    Esav is cruel.

  • Rochaberry

    yes he is not with us correct and their is nothing we can do about it correct but to know that the person responsible is going to sit in jail for a very long time and rethink of that day millions of times in his head for the next 17 years ,feels a little peacefull! justice no its not justice ……… that word doesnt belong in this nightmare!!! let’s just get moshiach already !!!!!!

  • Just a guy

    I am friendly with some of the Shaffer family members and I sympathize with them. I know that a criminal conviction can fill some human need for closure. I get it. I even get why some in the community might feel like this is geulas dam of a righteous man.

    But as a community, is this something to celebrate? Is this justice served? Was this man really the face of evil that we are happy to see him behind bars for 17 years? It is morally repugnant to get drunk and attempt to drive, but it is a human feebleness. Would we not feel better if this individual was given a short but significant prison sentence followed by rehabilitation and community service?

    Are we so righteous that we believe our community is beyond the weakness of drunk driving? How would we want a member of our community convicted of drunken vehicular-homicide to be treated by the justice system?

  • Jefferson

    Thank you.
    My thoughts exactly.
    the punishment grossly outweighs the crime. this man was irresponsible at worst; not a cold killer.
    may Hashem Comfort the family and friends of Rabbi Shaffer, and may we all hear only good news.

  • Close to the Shaffer family

    Actually, I Know some of the real details.
    This animal was a drug dealer, had a DUI within 6 months before this happened. He has been in and out of prison numerous times, has a rap-sheet a mile long, and this would have been his “3rd strike” which by CA law means 25-life. The only reason it was not counted as his third strike was that he was a few days before his 18th birthday on the first one!!

    Now, to focus our attention in a more important place…
    We deffinitely have this problem in our community as well, and EVERY PERSON who EVER allows someone else to drive while impaired is JUST AS LIABLE as the driver. Alcoholism is a disease (that seems to be rampant in our community) but we don’t tolerate disease. We treat them.
    When someone has tuberculosis they are put into isolation until they are cured. The same should be true of people who are alcoholics!

    • friend

      the CA law is 3 strikes and you’re out; we only know about the 3 he got caught, obviously this is a repeat offender; and his sentencing not only brings closure in the form of punishment but it helps to bring safety to all other lives; but more importantly an innocent, learned, wonderful husband, father, brother, grandfather is gone and no amount of justice can change that; Hashem decides on RH and seals our fate on YK and we cannot begin to fathom the whys

  • gedalia is sorely missed

    Gedalia left huge shoes to fill!!! If he only had more years to continue his avodas hakosesh and share his brilliance in all matters the world would have been ready to greet Moshiach.