NY Man Gets 25 Years for Fatal Atlantic City Robbery

A New York man will spend more than two decades behind bars after admitting to a fatal armed robbery that shook our community in early 2024.

Howard Griswold, 26, of Baldwinsville, NY, pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and first-degree armed robbery in Superior Court in Atlantic County on Wednesday. Under his plea agreement, he faces 25 years in state prison and must serve more than 21 years before becoming eligible for parole.

The charges stem from a violent robbery on January 20, 2024, in Atlantic City. According to prosecutors, Griswold was armed with a Glock 9mm handgun when he confronted and shot a local resident. Surveillance cameras in the area captured audio of the incident, including two gunshots and Griswold saying, "Give me that s***."

Police discovered the victim, Christian Hunter, 32, on N. Virginia Ave. near St. Andrew By the Sea Lutheran Church. His pockets had been turned inside out, and his cell phone was missing—chilling evidence of the robbery that had just taken place.

In a disturbing twist, when Hunter's friends tried calling his cell phone shortly after the shooting, Griswold himself answered the call, prosecutors say. This detail would prove crucial in building the case against him.

Surveillance footage also captured a Nissan Rogue speeding away from the crime scene. Investigators determined the vehicle had been rented by Griswold's girlfriend, Melissa Tikaram, 30. Prosecutors allege Tikaram drove the getaway car with Griswold as a passenger following the killing. The Nissan was later found in the parking lot of Resorts Hotel & Casino, where the couple had booked a room. Tikaram still faces pending charges in connection with the case.

This Atlantic City case represents only part of Griswold's alleged criminal activity. Just 10 weeks before the robbery, he was involved in another fatal incident—this time in New York State.

According to New York State Police, troopers stopped Griswold's 2017 Acura ILX in Rome, New York, during the early morning hours of November 7, 2023, after clocking him driving 85 mph in a 55 mph zone. A 22-year-old woman, Shana Reahoo Chourd, was riding in the passenger seat.

As officers began speaking with Griswold, he allegedly rolled up his window and sped away, initiating a high-speed chase. The pursuit wound through multiple turns and several red lights before ending tragically when the Acura struck a tree and rolled over. Chourd was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

In Oneida County, New York, Griswold remains charged with vehicular manslaughter, manslaughter, fleeing police, drug possession, and numerous other offenses related to that incident.

The guilty plea in Atlantic County brings some measure of closure to Christian Hunter's family and friends, ensuring that Griswold will face significant consequences for the violence that took a life in our community. His sentencing date has not yet been announced, but the 25-year term represents one of the stiffest penalties available under his plea agreement.