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Authorities say marital dispute led to murder-suicide at Shore

The homicides occurred during a marital dispute and the two victims suffered blunt force trauma, the prosecutor's office said.

On Wednesday night, Aug. 16, 2017, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI officers photograph the exterior of the Lacey Township home where authorities say a man killed his wife and child, then took his own life.
On Wednesday night, Aug. 16, 2017, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI officers photograph the exterior of the Lacey Township home where authorities say a man killed his wife and child, then took his own life.Read moreTHOMAS P. COSTELLO / Asbury Park Press / AP

Ocean County, N.J., authorities on Friday said a woman and 7-year-old boy found dead Wednesday in a Lacey Township house were victims of homicide in a marital dispute. The suspected perpetrator was the boy's father, Gregg Scott, whose fatal injuries appeared to be self-inflicted, the county prosecutor's office said in a news release.

The woman who was killed was identified as Kimberly Dunphey, 48, Scott's wife. The boy was Scott's son, Owen. Both the woman and boy died of blunt force trauma, authorities said. A cause of death for Scott was not released pending a post mortem.

The Inquirer on Thursday erroneously reported that all were shot.

"I hesitantly make this announcement in light of the relentless media interest and subsequent coverage in hopes of quickly putting this sad episode to rest (and) minimize the trauma to these families," Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato said in the statement.