4 Dead In Jersey Shore House Fire That May Be Murder-Suicide
By Alexandria Hoff
LONG BRANCH, N.J. (CBS) — Four people, two adults and their children, are dead after being found in a burning house in Monmouth County overnight.
Authorities are investigating if it was a murder-suicide.
The fire broke out just before midnight in the shore town Long Branch, Monmouth County.
The Prosecutor's Office says all of the people found dead had suffered some kind of injury unrelated to the fire.
Officials also say the fire itself does not appear accidental.
Crews were called to the scene late Tuesday night, but were unable to reach the second floor where all of the victims were.
Authorities have identified them as 35-year-old Lyndon Beharry, 29-year-old Amanda Morris, and the children Brandon and Brian Beharry; they were seven and four-years-old.
Authorities say all four were taken to Monmouth Medical Center, where they died.
Monmouth County Prosecutor Marc LeMieux says, "I can tell you at this point in time that when the fire department went inside they located more than one origin of this fire. We can tell you that based upon what we see, this is not an accidental fire. We are looking at this as a potential intentional fire that was set."
A witness tells Eyewitness News that before he saw smoke he heard series of loud bangs, and when he came outside he was surprised to see people were not escaping the home because the fire did not seem to be that big at the time.
Authorities say the cause and manner of death for each of the victims will be determined by a post-mortem examination by the medical examiner's office.
The origin and cause of the fire remains under investigation, but it does not appear to be accidental, according to authorities.
Anyone with any information is urged to call Detective Pamela Ricciardi, of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office at 1-800-533-7443 or Detective Rich O'Brien of the Long Branch Police Department at 732-222-1000.