Viswa Vanapalli
WNYC Radio’s ‘Dead End: A New Jersey Political Murder Mystery’ delves into the high-profile case of John and Joyce Sheridan’s deaths. In late September 2014, the couple was found dead in their bedroom under suspicious circumstances, with the authorities initially ruling it a murder-suicide. They believed John killed his wife before killing himself. However, the couple’s four sons, Mark, Matt, Dan, and Tim, disagreed with the findings and launched a campaign to have them changed. So, if you’re wondering where they might be today, here’s what we know!
Who Are John and Joyce Sheridan’s Sons?
John and Joyce Sheridan were married for 47 years and had four sons, with Mark and Matt being twins, in addition to two other siblings, Dan and Tim. At the time of the incident, Matt lived with his parents but was away on a fishing trip. At around 6:45 am on September 28, 2014, Matt called his twin, Mark, to tell them about the fire. Back then, Mark was with his wife, celebrating their anniversary in Manhattan in New York City, New York.
Therefore, Mark headed to his parents’ home right away, and by the time he got there, he had learned of their death. Mark picked up Tim on the way, and Dan was already there. Being a lawyer, Mark wanted to get as much information as possible by keeping his emotions aside. But he added, at that point, “They’re asking us a lot of questions, but we’re not getting a lot of information.” In another twist, Matt was arrested once he got there because the police found some cocaine in his car. However, the charges were later dismissed.
Once the family learned that the authorities ruled John and Joyce’s deaths as a murder-suicide, they were vocal about their disagreement. On behalf of himself and his brothers, Mark wrote a letter to the acting State Attorney General at the time. He was critical of the medical examiner’s office and pointed out its issues with accreditation. Mark further stated, “The medical examiner’s system in New Jersey is a disaster, an embarrassment. MEs should not be under the attorney general or law enforcement. They should not be agents of the state.”
The brothers were also disappointed with the way the crime scene was handled. An insurance agent had found a fire poker in the bathroom, and an expert later stated that it was possibly used to cause blunt force injuries on John. Furthermore, the brothers also found a piece of resolidified metal close to John’s body. It could have been a part of the armoire that fell on him or even a knife that caused his stab wounds; that weapon had not been recovered. In 2015, Mark filed a lawsuit calling for his father’s manner of death to be changed to undetermined.
The Sheridan family was sure that John could not have killed Joyce and then killed himself because nothing suggested he was suicidal until then. Matt even talked about the family considering the possibility that Joyce could have triggered some sort of an episode; she was known to have a temper. Matt added, “We’ve had to have some miserable conversations among ourselves about the different possibilities, but we’ve had them.” But ultimately, they believed it was simply not possible, given Joyce’s height and health problems, that she attacked her husband.
Where Mark and Matt Sheridan Now?
The brothers were ultimately successful in their quest when the authorities changed John’s manner of death from suicide to undetermined. In January 2022, Mark wrote a letter to the Attorney General asking to investigate any connections between his parents’ deaths and another similar murder that happened in May 2014. The suspect was arrested the day after the Sheridans’ deaths and had a kitchen knife in his possession. Mark mentioned in the letter that a knife was missing from his parents’ kitchen.
Mark, a lawyer who graduated from Rutgers Law School in New Jersey, is now a partner at Squire Patton Boggs, a law firm in Summit, New Jersey. He’s held that position for more than a decade and previously served as counsel to the Republican Party in New Jersey. Matthew, a stockbroker, used to live with his parents, but from what we can tell, he now lives in Belle Mead, New Jersey.
Currently, Dan Sheridan is the President and Chief Revenue Officer of a human resources firm based in New York City. As for Tim, he runs a home restoration business and seems to live in Bound Brook, New Jersey. The brothers have since sold their parents’ home but have retained the parts of the wall with blood for future testing; it remains in a private laboratory for now.
Read More: How Did James and Joyce Sheridan Die?
