Suspect charged in fatal stabbing of homeless man in Medford, allegedly leaving body on side of road

A Suffolk County man is accused of stabbing a homeless man to death and leaving his body on the side of the road.

Joseph Norton, 20, is charged with the second-degree murder of 32-year-old Timothy Stark, who is believed to be homeless.

Police say Norton stabbed Stark in the back during a fight in Medford Monday at 3:30 p.m. on Express Drive South at Route 112, then drove away from the scene.

Authorities later found Stark's body on the South Service Road of the Long Island Expressway. He was pronounced dead at NYU Langone Hospital - Suffolk in Patchogue.

Prosecutors say Norton used a 6-inch switch blade and chased down Stark, who residents say would regularly sit in a chair along the north service road near the LIE.

That's where Jake Sherack and his 7-year-old son knew him well.

"He was always good to us, one of my biggest prides was me and my son going to feed him," Sherack said. "I hope my son knows for the rest of his life that we helped him out. He was just always a kind person."

In court on Tuesday, prosecutors described Norton as relentless in his pursuit of Stark -- chasing him across three wide intersections and over to the south service road where Stark could no longer dodge the blade.

Prosecutors say Norton slammed Stark's head to the pavement then pierced his lung and heart.

No one knows why but authorities say there were many witnesses and two separate dashcam videos.

Jeff Vinci, a retired EMT, saw Stark collapse in the turning lane, but said it was too late to save him..

"His body was moving in a way that could tell he was not breathing anymore," Vinci said. "I checked his pulse. He had no pulse."

Defense attorney Peter H. Mayer said his client should be presumed innocent.