BARNEGAT – Over 30 years later, authorities have identified the person responsible for the murder of a young woman in Barnegat in 1991.
On September 7, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that John Pelletier, formerly of Barnegat Township, murdered of Deborah “Debbie” Ann Bloomquist, 30, of Ocean Township (Monmouth County), in 1991. Officials stated that Pelletier passed away in North Dakota in 2015.
On October 26, 1991, the body of a young woman, who was later identified as Bloomquist, was found in a heavily wooded area in Barnegat. An autopsy uncovered that Bloomquist died from multiple stab wounds and that she was the victim of a sexual assault.
Investigation began on Bloomquist’s murder and biological evidence was collected and preserved. During that time, the technology did not exist to submit this evidence for DNA testing.
At the time of death, Bloomquist had been living in a motel in Monmouth County and was last seen at a tavern in Asbury Park on October 24, 1991. Bloomquist had no known ties to the Barnegat area, authorities said. No leads were established and the case went cold.
Over 10 years later, the biological evidence collected from the scene led to the development of a male DNA profile.
In January 2022, the case was presented to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General – Cold Case Task Force and the investigation was reopened. With today’s modern technology, detectives were able identify the DNA collected from the scene in 1991 as belonging to John Pelletier, concluding that he was responsible for Bloomquist’s murder.
“After more than three decades, this hideous crime has, at long last, been solved. Though Pelletier never faced justice for his actions in this life, we nevertheless hope this conclusive determination brings some level of peace and closure to the family of Debbie Ann Bloomquist,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated.
“I’d like to thank the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and the New Jersey State Police for the creation of the Cold Case Task Force. The resources made available through the collaborative investigative process the Cold Case Task Force provides allowed us to finally solve this heinous crime. Barnegat Township Chief of Police Keith Germain and Barnegat Township Detective William Hetrick deserve a lot of credit for never giving up on this case. I am grateful for their efforts,” Billhimer stated.
He also acknowledged the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, Barnegat Township Police Department, New Jersey Office of the Attorney General – Cold Case Task Force, New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit, New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Science, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Manchester Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Ocean Township (Monmouth County) Police Department, Asbury Park Police Department, Emmons County Sheriff’s Office (North Dakota), Morgan County Police Department (North Dakota), West Fargo Police Department (North Dakota), and BODE Technology, for their very thorough, combined and collective assistance in connection with this investigation.
