Did this NJ power couple really die in a murder-suicide?

WNYC's investigation into a political murder mystery [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [Ad: We connect health and social care. click here to find out more at unite us dot org]( Advertisement Meet the Sheridans: The slain couple at the center of a New Jersey political murder mystery [an illustration of a burning house in a cul-de-sac] Liam Eisenberg Earlier this year, the New Jersey political world was rocked when a longtime Democratic operative named Sean Caddle [pleaded guilty]( to hiring two hitmen to kill a rival political consultant, Michael Galdieri, back in 2014. The macabre reaction was that this was "so Jersey," and not just because the hitmen were paid cash in a diner parking lot, but because that same year, something very similar happened. On September 28, 2014, John and Joyce Sheridan, a prominent New Jersey couple with connections to Gov. Chris Christie and other powerful Republicans, were found dead in their home on a quiet cul-de-sac near Princeton. And just like in Galdieri's killing, the Sheridans were stabbed to death with their home set on fire. But several months after the event, the Somerset County prosecutor gave a shocking official conclusion: John Sheridan had killed his wife, then stabbed himself before setting their bedroom on fire. And yet, many who knew the couple still don't believe that. And as WNYC's Nancy Solomon has discovered over the past two years of looking into this story, the prosecutor's theory, in more ways than one, just doesn't add up. In Dead End: A New Jersey Political Murder Mystery, Solomon goes deep into a story of crime and corruption that touches the highest levels of society in the Garden State. [LISTEN TO EPISODE ONE]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ad: We connect health and social care. click here to find out more at unite us dot org]( Advertisement --------------------------------------------------------------- For Further Reading [a gavel] [Mid-level appeals court said Democrats gerrymandered congressional districts]( New York Democrats are challenging the ruling, setting up a fight in the state's highest appeals court to determine if the newly-drawn congressional maps will stay in place for this year's elections. [A.G. Letitia James] [Judge holds Trump in contempt of court for not complying with AG probe]( A New York judge said Monday that Donald Trump must pay a $10,000 fine each day that he fails to turn over records in the state attorney general's fraud investigation. [a close-up of Gov. Kathy Hochul] [Hochul's approval rating drops to a new low]( According to the latest Siena poll, Gov. Kathy Hochul's job performance rating fell from 43% to 36% over this past month, with voters citing crime and the economy as major concerns. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ad: We connect health and social care. click here to find out more at unite us dot org]( Advertisement [the logo for the Brian Lehrer Politics Podcast] [Jumaane Williams, gubernatorial hopeful]( New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams discusses his bid to be New York's Democratic nominee for governor. [LISTEN]( Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential political coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. [Terms of Use.]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your [preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from this list