Who was Robert Peace? Yale grad murdered in NJ basement

NEW YORK – Robert Peace was a Yale graduate who was shot and killed inside a basement in Newark, New Jersey. However, there is more to his story.

In April 2016 FOX 5 NEW covered the remarkable yet heartbreaking story of Robert Peace, a man whose journey was marked by both extraordinary feats and profound struggles.

Chiwetel Ejiofor brought Peace’s story to life in the 2024 film *Rob Peace* starring Jay Will, Mary J. Blige and Camila Cabello. Based on Jeff Hobbs’ bestselling book, “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace,” the film follows a brilliant young man who navigates the tension between his academic future and his efforts to free his imprisoned father.

Released in theaters in August 2024 and added to Netflix on November 11, the film has already climbed into the platform’s top 10 movies within a week.

Here is his story.

The Life of Rob Peace: A Child with a Promise

Robert DeShaun Peace, who went by Rob Peace, was born on June 25, 1980, in East Orange, New Jersey, to Jackie and Skeet.

His parents separated and Rob lived with his mother.

“I remember the day Shaun came home from the hospital,” his uncle Dante Peace said FOX 5 NEW. “He was a little bundle. My sister was very happy.”

From an early age, Rob showed a precocious intelligence.

“When he was two or three years old he was curious about things way ahead of his time,” Dante said.

Rob’s father, Skeet, played a significant role in his young life until he was arrested for a double homicide when Rob was seven. The absence left a lasting void.

Skeet was convicted of murder in the 1987 deaths of Charlene and Estella Moore and sentenced to life in prison. At age 7, Rob visited him every weekend until he turned 18, while Skeet often called home to check on his son’s academic progress.

“(Skeet) called every day to make sure Rob did his homework,” Rob’s uncle, Dante Peace, said NJ.com in July 2024. “He had a level of intelligence that affected Rob.”

“I had no idea how much pain he was in for his father,” said childhood friend Jason Delpeche. Despite the challenges, Rob’s brilliance was evident. “He made it cool to be a nerd,” Delpeche said, recalling Rob’s confidence and wide smile.

Rob Peace at St. Benedict’s Prep

In 1994, Rob started high school at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, a school known for helping young men from single-parent homes. “Many of these boys come from homes where fathers are incarcerated,” said father Edwin Leahy, principal in 2016. FOX 5 NEW.

At St. At Benedict’s, Rob excelled in academics, athletics and leadership, even becoming a senior group leader. He also did well in water polo, an unusual sport for black students. “He loved it and was good at it,” Father Leahy said.

Still, Rob struggled privately, turning to marijuana to cope with internal struggles.

Water polo coach Glenn Cassidy recounted a rare emotional outburst when discussing Rob’s father: “He blew up and said, ‘I haven’t had a father in my life all these years. Why do I need one now?’

Rob Peace at Yale: Promise and pressure

With a full scholarship from St. Benedict’s alumnus Charles Cawley, Rob entered Yale University in 1998 as a molecular biophysics and biochemistry major. “Only about 20 people a year majored in it,” Hobbs said. At Yale, Rob continued to excel, but also began selling marijuana.

He had secrets, struggled to fit in and sold drugs to keep up socially. Despite these struggles, Rob maintained a diverse group of friends and became a member of Yale’s prestigious Elihu secret society.

Ernie Gonzalez, who met Rob at Yale and is now a psychiatrist, believes that all the networking and socializing kept Rob from dealing with the things that troubled him.

“I think Rob felt he had to live up to a certain standard and he had to be the strong guy. He had to be the popular guy,” Gonzalez said.

Rob Peace murder

After graduating in 2002, Rob returned to Newark where he worked as a teacher, coach and even in real estate. But financial struggles and unresolved trauma continued.

In May 2011, Rob was killed in the basement of a greenhouse in what police described as a drug deal gone wrong.

Police found cash and marijuana at the scene, but the perpetrator was never identified.

Rob was 30 years old at the time.

A legacy that resonates

After Rob’s death, Hobbs asked a lot of hard questions about why he wrote the book.

“‘How can you stand there and tell me there’s a positive message in the story of a man who had so many gifts and got so many gifts and died because of some bad decisions?'” Hobbs said people would say to him.

Father Leahy describes it as a tragedy in the classic sense, where you have an epic figure with this education whose life is cut short.

“Anytime someone that age loses their life, it’s tragic, but I guess what I’m saying is… I don’t think Rob’s tragedy is greater than the tragedy of the unknown person killed on 11th Street,” said father. Leahy said. “It’s also tragic.”

“The point was to experience him, his friendship and maybe hopefully be influenced,” Hobbs said. “Everybody’s life matters. Rob didn’t need a book written about his life for his life to matter.”