By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY — Matthew Sheridan, the 41-year-old son of the late John and Joyce Sheridan whose bodies were found in the bedroom of their home, has been indicted on cocaine possession charges by a Middlesex County grand jury.
The younger Mr. Sheridan, who lived with his parents at 49 Meadow Drive, was arrested on cocaine charges Sept. 28, 2014 — the same day that his parent died in what Somerset County officials have called a murder-suicide. He allegedly had cocaine and drug paraphernalia in his car, which was searched by police at the scene.
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office was handling the drug case because it occurred in Montgomery Township. The case was transferred to Middlesex County to eliminate any conflict or appearance of conflict due to potential civil litigation by the Sheridan family against the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.
It is not clear, however, whether the drug case will be tried in Middlesex County or Somerset County. Attorney Henry E. Klingeman, who is representing Mr. Sheridan, said in an email message Monday that he had not received official court notice as to where the case will be tried.
“Matt Sheridan will not plead guilty,” Mr. Klingeman said in the message.
“The indictment is the product of an illegal search that took place at the scene where, and on the day, when his parents were killed,” Mr. Klingeman said. “The evidence will show that this case represents an abusive use of prosecutorial power.”
John Sheridan, who was the president and CEO of Cooper Health System, allegedly stabbed his wife to death and then killed himself. The bedroom was set on fire with gasoline. A half-empty container of gasoline was found in the bedroom. Mr. Sheridan’s DNA was found on the gasoline container, which was usually kept in the family’s garage.
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office concluded that Mr. Sheridan killed his wife and then committed suicide. The Prosecutor’s Office said Mr. Sheridan had been observed being upset and withdrawn, likely because of work-related issues. Ms. Sheridan was upset because her husband’s behavior was out of character.
But the Sheridans’ four sons have challenged the Prosecutor’s Office’s determination that it was a murder-suicide. They want the cause of death for their father to be changed from “suicide” to “undetermined.”
The sons have challenged the qualifications of Assistant Medical Examiner Eddy Lilavois, who performed the autopsy on their parents. They pointed out that Dr. Lilavois lacks board certification in anatomical and clinical pathology, and that he is not board-certified in forensic pathology.
The sons hired forensic pathologist Michael Baden, whose autopsy findings contradicted the Prosecutor’s Office’s conclusions. Dr. Baden said Mr. Sheridan was stabbed with a knife that has never been recovered.
Dr. Baden did find any evidence of mental depression. There was an absence of any motive or any note, and of any weapon that could have caused the cut wound of the neck and jugular suffered by Mr. Sheridan — all of which speak against suicide, he said.
Earlier this year, Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano was replaced by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael H. Robertson. His removal followed the release of a Feb. 17 letter signed by more than 200 politicians, attorneys, lobbyists and friends that called for the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office to reopen its investigation into the Sheridans’ deaths.
