Investigation Reopened Into Killings Of NJ Politico, Wife: AG

NEW JERSEY — The New Jersey Workplace of the Lawyer Basic reopened an investigation into the killings of a longtime New Jersey political determine and his spouse. The sons of John and Joyce Sheridan by no means believed the unique investigation’s conclusion and spent years calling for a extra thorough look into their dad and mom’ deaths in 2014.

John Sheridan held a number of roles in state authorities, together with commissioner of the New Jersey Division of Transportation from 1982-85. Emergency personnel responded to the Sheridans’ house in Skillman on Sept. 28, 2014, for a reported fireplace within the upstairs bed room. They discovered that John and Joyce Sheridan had each been stabbed a number of instances. They had been each pronounced lifeless — John on the scene, Joyce on the hospital.

The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Workplace dominated in March 2015 that John killed Joyce after which himself, setting the hearth to hide proof. However their 4 sons by no means believed it and repeatedly requested the legal professional common’s workplace to reopen the case, in keeping with Gothamist.

After then-Gov. Chris Christie appointed a brand new state health worker in 2016, 200 politically distinguished New Jerseyans wrote the brand new health worker an open letter asking that John Sheridan’s demise certificates get amended from suicide to “undetermined.” Signees included three former governors, a former state Supreme Court docket justice, two former state attorneys common and a former chief New Jersey prosecutor.

State Medical Examiner Andrew Falzon modified John Sheridan’s demise certificates to say “undetermined” in 2017.

However that did not finish the thriller of the killings. A brand new investigation from the legal professional common’s workplace might supply new perception into the circumstances of the couple’s demise.

WNYC first reported the brand new investigation. The media outlet created a podcast that centered on the Sheridans’ deaths and the holes within the preliminary inquiry.

The legal professional common’s workplace did not reveal why they reopened the case.

“Our workplace is investigating this matter, and we are going to comply with the proof wherever it leads,” Steve Barnes, a spokesperson for the company, advised Patch through electronic mail.

After serving within the Military for 2 years, John Sheridan labored in then-Gov. William T. Cahill’s administration as a deputy legal professional common. After Brendan Byrne, a Democrat, change into governor in 1974, Sheridan grew to become counsel to Republicans within the State Senate.

John Sheridan later served as counsel to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, resulting in his appointment as state transportation commissioner in Gov. Thomas Kean’s administration. He later served on NJ Transit’s board for a number of years earlier than returning to his non-public legislation observe. However John Sheridan returned to politics in 1993, serving on Christine Todd Whitman’s transition crew after she was elected governor.

On the time of John Sheridan’s demise, he was president of Cooper Well being System. In 2017, Cooper named a constructing in his honor — the Sheridan Pavilion at Three Cooper Plaza in Camden.