BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer
MANALAPAN – Although Joseph and Vincenza Importuna were not well-known by their neighbors, their deaths shocked not only their Bailey Court neighborhood, but also those who knew the couple and their two children, ages 4 and 9.
In what law enforcement officials deemed an apparent murder-suicide that took place June 19 in the marital home the family had occupied since moving to Man-alapan from Jackson in September, Joseph Importuna, 38, shot and killed his wife, Vincenza, 32, while the two were in the home alone.
Bailey Court is in a neighborhood of single-family homes off Route 522 (English-town-Jamesburg Road) in Manalapan, just outside Englishtown.
At a press conference held June 20 in Freehold Borough, Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin, flanked by Man-alapan Police Chief Stuart Brown, detailed for reporters the events as his investigators and Manalapan police believe they occurred.
According to Valentin, at about 4:45 p.m. June 19, Joseph Importuna took his two children to the Englishtown home of his brother and sister-in-law.
PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Manalapan police officers and investigators (top) do their work outside the Bailey Court home where Mon-mouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin (above right) said Joseph Importuna shot and killed his wife, Vincenza, before killing himself on June 19. Joining Valentin at the June 20 press conference was Manalapan Police Chief Stuart Brown. Valentin said Importuna had received notification during the previous week that his wife was planning a divorce action.
“She had made preliminary efforts to dissolve the marriage and the husband had been served documents last week,” the prosecutor said.
Valentin said that when Importuna dropped off his children, he told his brother, Anthony, and sister-in-law, Julia, that he was doing so because he wanted some time to be able speak with his wife in private.
Valentin said Vincenza Importuna’s father had been staying temporarily at the Bailey Court residence, but that he was at his New York residence on June 19 and was not present when the shootings occurred.
When asked by a reporter if Importuna’s brother had indicated to police that his brother had been contemplating “any kind of violent act,” Valentin said he preferred not to comment at this time.
Valentin said that after numerous calls to the Importuna home went unanswered on June 19, Importuna’s brother and sister-in-law drove to Bailey Court at about 10 p.m., entered the home and found the bodies of Joseph and Vincenza in the master bedroom.
Valentin said police were called and arrived at the home at 10:30 p.m. Subsequent to that, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Forensic and Technical Services Bureau responded.
Valentin said the initial forensic findings indicated that Importuna fired one shot into his wife’s chest and then took his own life in the same way.
Valentin said he was not prepared to comment as to whether law enforcement officers knew why Vincenza had begun divorce proceedings or whether there were indications that a struggle had occurred between the couple before the shootings.
Valentin said the weapon used was a 9 mm handgun registered to Joseph Importuna that police found in the master bedroom with the bodies.
When asked if police and investigators believe Joseph Importuna planned the events as they unfolded, Valentin said, “It seems there were substantial steps in the planning of the crime.”
He said investigators would be following up leads.
Joseph Importuna was the co-owner of GianMarco Pizzeria, Millstone Township. When a reporter called the pizzeria and asked to speak with a member of Joseph Importuna’s family, the man who answered the phone and had identified himself as a cousin of Importuna’s said the family would have no comment.
Vincenza Importuna had worked for Manal-apan ERA Realty broker Cathy Cleveland for a few months.
Cleveland said she had witnessed interaction between the Importunas on several occasions. She said as far as she and Vincenza’s co-workers knew, the Importunas’ marriage and family life were fine. She said there had never been any indication from Vincenza that there was trouble at home.
But, she said, “who knows what goes on behind closed doors?”
Cleveland said that in the wake of the tragedy, media reports of an impending divorce action were news to her and the rest of the ERA staff because Vincenza had never mentioned to anyone that she was having any problems in her personal life or in her marriage.
Speaking about a woman she said was “loved by everyone who knew her, she was such a sweet girl,” Cleveland also said she was not surprised that Vincenza had not shared her personal situation with co-workers.
“She was a very private person who always conducted herself with dignity. I’m not surprised she didn’t talk about whatever problems they might have had,” Cleveland said.
Valentin asked anyone who may be able to supply information about the case to contact Manal-apan Detective Sgt. Robert Rushnak at (732) 446-4300 or Detective Thomas Nuccio at the prosecutor’s office at 1-800-533-7443.