Man Sent Email To Ex Minutes Before South Jersey Explosion, Murder-Suicide: Report

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ — New details have emerged in the wake of Sunday's explosive house fire in Washington Township that authorities are investigating as a murder-suicide.

On Tuesday, officials revealed that a man fatally shot a woman sometime before the blaze, which killed the man in what's been ruled a suicide.

The man and woman had a pre-existing relationship, said Thomas Gilbert, chief of detectives for the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.

"They were familiar with each other and had an ongoing relationship that had some gaps in it," Gilbert told Patch on Wednesday.

Officials have not confirmed their identities as of this writing. The Gloucester County Medical Examiner was still working to positively identify them, Gilbert said on Wednesday.

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Family and friends have identified the female victim as Michelle Whiting, of Gloucester City.

After her death, Whiting's friend started a GoFundMe to support the victim's three children. Nearly $16,000 has been raised as of 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

"She always smiled and often tried to find the positive in everything," says the GoFundMe. "She had so many friends and she was so young. I was her old lady friend. When she just wanted to sit by the fire outside and chill while drinking her Twisted Teas, she would visit."

The man has been identified as Daniel Steele by neighbors and a woman who says she previously dated him, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.

Steele's ex-girlfriend, Nicole Ruiz, told NBC10 that hours before the fire, Steele dropped off his dog and some dog food at Ruiz's home. Inside the bag, Ruiz found money.

Ruiz received an email from Steele just minutes before the fire broke out on Tranquility Court, she told NBC10.

"I am a terrible person," read part of the email, according to NBC10. "By the time you read this I won't be alive. Billy loves you more than anyone I’ve ever seen. Take care of yourself. Love, me."

What Investigators Have Said

Multiple people called 911 to report a house fire and apparent explosion around 2 a.m. Sunday at 13 Tranquility Court.

In the rubble of the destroyed home, authorities found two dead individuals: a woman on a bed in the bedroom and a man in the living room.

Investigators believe the man fatally shot the woman sometime before the fire. Then, the powerful blaze killed him. His death was ruled a suicide.

Detectives 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.

The fire seems to have preceded the explosion, officials said. While the explosion may have contributed to the damage, it was the fire that destroyed the house. The specific cause of the explosion has not been released by authorities.

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.