Man Accused Of Brutal 2015 Murder Of NYPD Fireman In Barnegat Light Due In Court On Monday

TOMS RIVER, NJ - The Colts Neck man man indicted for the gruesome murder of a former New York City firefighter in 2015 is due in Superior Court Monday morning, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Conrad Sipa, 52, is slated for a status hearing, said Al Della Fave.

Sipa was indicted in February on charges of first-degree murder, three counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, one count of unlawful possession of a weapon, one count of hindering apprehension or prosecution and one count of tampering with physical evidence.

He is accused of murdering his friend, Richard Doody Jr., 60, in his Barnegat Light home, sometime between Nov. 21 and Nov. 23, 2015. An autopsy revealed that Doody suffered blunt force trauma to his head and slash wounds to his neck.

Long Beach Township police discovered Doody's battered body in his Central Avenue home on Nov. 23, 2015, after a concerned family member was unable to reach him, Della Fave has said.

Sipa is alleged to have used a knife, golf club and/or a ceramic lamp to kill Doody. He is also accused of trying to clean up the crime scene and removing items to avoid apprehension. Sipa was arrested and released last year on $1 million bail, Della Fave has said.

Sipa, Colts Neck, also returned to the home several times by cleaning up around Doody’s body, authorities have said. Sipa’s E-Z Pass records show he went to Doody’s home before and after the murder.

Ocean County Superior Court Judge Rochelle Gizinski earlier this year agreed to change the conditions of Sipa’s $1 million cash-only bail to a bond. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in March.

Photo: Ocean County Prosecutor's Office