June 7, 2010
Office of The Attorney General
– Paula T. Dow, Attorney General
Division of Criminal Justice
– Stephen J. Taylor, Director
Media Inquiries-
Peter Aseltine
609-292-4791
Citizen Inquiries-
609-292-4925
Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to First-Degree Murder in Shooting Death of Manager at Trump Taj Mahal in May 2009
TRENTON – Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced that a Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today in the shooting death of shift manager Raymond Kot at the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City last year.
According to Director Taylor, Mark E. Magee, 58, of Norristown, Pa., pleaded guilty today to first-degree murder before Superior Court Judge James E. Isman in Atlantic County. As a result of the plea, Magee faces a sentence of 30 years in state prison without possibility of parole.
Magee admitted in court that he shot Kot, 57, of Egg Harbor Township, inside a card and dice room off of the casino floor at the Taj Mahal on May 27, 2009. He told the judge that he believed that the casinos were cheating patrons by electronically controlling table games. Magee said he knew Kot was the shift manager, and he went to the casino with the intent to kill Kot. He admitted stalking Kot throughout the day.
Magee confronted Kot at approximately 3:50 p.m., shooting him three times in the torso with a five-shot .38 Special revolver loaded with hollow point bullets. Kot was taken by ambulance to Atlantic City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Magee was arrested outside of the casino shortly after the shooting by detectives of the Atlantic City Police Department. Magee dropped the murder weapon as they approached.
“Mr. Kot was a beloved husband and father and a respected manager at the Taj Mahal,” said Attorney General Dow. “No resolution can make sense of a senseless tragedy like this, but we believe that this guilty plea serves justice.”
“The casino community was shaken by the murder of this highly regarded manager, who had worked at the Taj Mahal since its opening,” said Director Taylor. “We were determined to move this case forward to an appropriate resolution, so that the healing process can continue for all of those affected by this tragedy.”
The murder charge was contained in a Sept. 17, 2009 Atlantic County grand jury indictment. Deputy Attorney General Yvonne Maher prosecuted the case and took the guilty plea for the Division of Criminal Justice Major Crimes Bureau.
Judge Isman scheduled sentencing for Aug. 12. Magee was being held in the Atlantic County Jail with bail set at $1,122,500. Judge Isman revoked his bail after he entered the guilty plea.
The New Jersey State Police investigated the murder with assistance from the Atlantic City Police Department. The investigation was conducted for the New Jersey State Police by members of the State Police Casino Gaming Bureau, the State Police Crime Scene South Unit, and the State Police Major Crime Unit.
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