Prison In Tailgate Death

A man who caused the death of an acquaintance during a tailgate outside a Jimmy Buffett concert two years ago will spend up to four years in New Jersey state prison, according to a Camden County prosecutor. 

Matthew Shields of Westfield, N.J., received a four-year sentence July 11 after pleading guilty in March to manslaughter charges stemming from the August 2012 death of Ryan Cole during a tailgate.

Shields admitted to punching the 20-year-old in the back of the he in Camden, N.J. Cole’s head hit the pavement when he fell and he died three days later.