Lacey Murder-Suicide House: No Clue Anything Was Wrong, Neighbor Says

LACEY TOWNSHIP - The first hint that something was wrong on Nautilus Boulevard in Forked River came around 4 pm. on Wednesday afternoon.

The brother of the woman found murdered in her home raced over to the house after he received a call from the woman's husband, a neighbor said.

"The police pulled up, her brother pulled up," she said. "He said he got a disturbing message from her husband, so he called police."

Inside, Lacey police found the bodies of the man's sister, her 7-year-old son and the family's Corgi dog. The husband was still alive and was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he died.

The neighbor - who lives next door and didn't want to be identified - was still reeling from the news of the murders and suicide.

There was no indication that anything was wrong in the house, she said. She often saw the husband taking the dog for a walk or playing with the boy. The husband was outgoing and once fixed her family's air conditioning unit for them. The woman was a little more reserved, the neighbor said.

"They were a loving family," she said. "Nobody yelled at each other."

All was quiet at the olive-shingled ranch home with the yellow shutters Thursday, except for the hum of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office's command center truck. Two sport utility vehicles were still in the driveway. A red canoe was perched next to the house. An outdoor table and chairs were on the porch. The perimeter of the home was roped off with yellow police tape.

"Something happened and somebody snapped," the neighbor said. "That's not normal."

When officers arrived, they found the 51-year-old husband, his 48-year-old wife and the boy. The wife, the boy and the dog were all pronounced dead at the scene, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato and Lacey Police Chief Michael C. DiBella have said.

The man, who had self-inflicted injuries, later died at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Coronato said.

The identities of the family members still have not been released. The Prosecutor's Office said on Thursday that no more information would be released soon.

Photo: Lacey Township Police Department