Deadly, Explosive Fire In South Jersey Ruled A Murder-Suicide

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ — An explosive fire that killed two people and destroyed a Washington Township home was part of a murder-suicide, officials said on Tuesday.

The bodies of a man and woman were pulled from the rubble of a fire that destroyed a home early Sunday at 13 Tranquility Ct.

An apparent explosion rocked the neighborhood during the blaze.

Investigators believe the man shot the woman in the head sometime before the fire. The blaze then killed the man, whose death was ruled a suicide, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.

Authorities are working to confirm their identities as of Tuesday afternoon. Investigators believe the man lived in the house, but his relationship to the woman is unclear.

The man was found in the living room with a handgun near his body, and the woman was found on a bed in the bedroom with a fatal gunshot wound, authorities said.

The female victim's death was ruled a homicide.

Investigators found a fire accelerant in the home, along with a gas line that had been tampered with to enable the unrestricted flow of natural gas inside, authorities said.

On Monday, authorities revealed that the explosion didn't destroy the house but may have contributed to the fire, which did destroy it.

The circumstances around the fire and deaths remain under investigation. Anyone with relevant information can contact Det. Allen Williams of the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office at 856-384-5622 or Det. Matthew Laudenslager of the Washington Township Police Department at 856-589-0330 ext. 1176. Tips can also be emailed to the prosecutor's office at tips@co.gloucester.nj.us.