Sources: Cooper CEO Sheridan and wife were stabbed; state enters probe

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office has sent a team of investigators to probe the violent deaths of Cooper Health System CEO John P. Sheridan Jr. and his wife, Joyce, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

Two sources close to the investigation also confirmed that the Sheridans both had multiple stab wounds when their bodies were pulled from a Sept. 28 fire in their home in the Skillman section of Montgomery Township, Somerset County.

Two weeks ago, the state deployed investigators and lawyers from the Attorney General's Office and detectives from the New Jersey State Police to assist with what one of the sources Tuesday described as "a very complex case."

A spokesman for the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, which remains the lead investigator, has repeatedly declined to respond to questions from The Inquirer about whether the Sheridans suffered any injuries beyond any caused by the fire.

Authorities have released little information about the deaths or the fire, which was ruled intentionally set. The new details paint a partial view of what occurred in the Sheridan home nearly two months ago.

John Sheridan, 72, was stabbed in the neck and his jugular may have been slashed, according to one of the sources, who like all the others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. Sheridan was also stabbed on one side, the source said.

Joyce Sheridan, 69, a retired teacher, was repeatedly stabbed in the upper body and chest, the source said.

The couple were unresponsive when they were pulled from a second-story master bedroom. John Sheridan was found under a large armoire, a source said. Gasoline had been used to set the fire in the bedroom and a gas can, usually kept in the garage, was found in the bedroom, two sources said.

Medics tried to revive both Sheridans. John Sheridan, a Republican insider known for shaping public policy, was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife went into cardiac arrest and died a short time later at Princeton Medical Center.

Two knives were recovered and investigators believe one was used to inflict wounds on both Sheridans, one of the sources said. It is believed that a third weapon, which has not been recovered, caused the wounds on John Sheridan's neck and side, the source said.

The fire was contained to the bedroom. A possible motive has not been disclosed.

A statement released Tuesday by the Sheridans' four sons said, "From the beginning we have said that no one wants answers about our parents' deaths more than us.

"Real answers will only come after a full and thorough investigation," said the statement, provided by Tom Wilson, a family friend. "We do not condone releasing information in a piecemeal fashion because of frustration with the process, it is not helpful to getting to the truth about what happened to our parents. We are committed to getting to the truth and that means we will not comment while the investigation is ongoing."

Shortly after their parents' deaths, the sons hired Michael Baden, a nationally known forensic pathologist to assist them in the case. Baden testified this week before a grand jury in Ferguson, Mo., hearing the case of Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager who was fatally shot by a white police officer.

Prosecutors have indicated that the Sheridans' four sons - Mark, Matthew, Tim, and Dan - had no involvement in their parents' deaths, leaving open two possibilities: murder-suicide, or homicide. The nature of the stab wounds and the unrecovered weapon seem to point to the latter theory, though it's not clear if other evidence might support a different conclusion. The Prosecutor's Office has said there is no threat to the public.

The office has said it is awaiting laboratory analyses and the medical examiner's determinations before announcing its findings. It has not released any information on the cause or manner of death.

The Sheridan sons have also started a process with the Somerset County Surrogate's Office to handle their parents' estate because a will for the Sheridans has not been located.

The Sheridans' home on Meadow Run Drive - where the family lived for more than 30 years - is assessed at nearly $512,000, according to property records. The couple also owned a home in New York state.

An application for the "letters of administration" was filed Nov. 13 by Edward A. Gramigna Jr., an attorney in Florham Park. The Surrogate's Office would not disclose who was seeking to be an administrator for the Sheridans' estate. Officials said the documents are pending signatures and are not public record until complete. Gramigna did not return a call seeking comment.

Last week, police records obtained by The Inquirer through an open public records request revealed that Matthew Sheridan, 40, was arrested at his parents' home hours after the fire for third-degree cocaine possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, for baggies and a digital scale found in his car.

The Prosecutor's Office has not pursued the charges against Matthew Sheridan, but has said it has up to five years to do so.

Authorities said the arrest was unrelated to the fire. Matthew Sheridan lived at the home with his parents.

Editor's Note: This story was changed to correct the name of attorney Edward A. Gramigna Jr.