SURF CITY – A Pennsylvania woman who murder her father and his girlfriend in their Surf City home had been cut from his will, according to court documents, and confirmation from authorities.
On October 5, Sherry Lee Heffernan, 55, of Landenberg, Pennsylvania, was charged with two counts of Murder, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose and Unlawful Possession of Weapon after police determined her responsible for the deaths of John Enders, 87, of Surf City, and Francoise Pitoy, 75, of Manchester.
Police had found the couple’s bodies in a Surf City home on North 7th Street after performing a welfare check. According to officials, there were multiple stab wounds found during the post-mortem examination. Subsequently, Heffernan was apprehended at her Pennsylvania home.
According to statements made in court, Heffernan, a real estate agent, wanted to be the broker on her father’s home. She became “disgruntled” after Enders did not let her sell his house. Documents stated that the home is currently listed for sale at $1.9 million.
A friend of Enders and Pitoy told Surf City Police Detective Sgt. Victor Rice that Enders had amended his living will within the last month. It was apparent that Heffernan and Ender’s other daughter were not included in the will.
The friend believed Heffernan owned an RV, a 28-foot Winnebago Rice said. Police observed surveillance footage of a similar white RV described on September 29 at 4:48 p.m. heading east toward Long Beach Island on the Route 72 Bridge, according to the affidavit.
About 10 minutes later, a Ring doorbell camera recorded an RV park near Enders’ home at North 7th Street. The footage showed the RV leaving the street an hour later with its headlights off. In addition, the same camera captured a person walking on 7th Street.
A different camera captured a person hopping a backyard fence near Enders’ home around 6:42 a.m., holding an orange bag and wearing baggy clothes.
According to the affidavit, police determined the height of the suspect was likely to be 5′ 8″, which matched the height listed on Heffernan’s driver’s license.
Approximately 16 minutes later, another camera on the bridge caught the RV leaving Long Beach Island, police said.
Police stated that when they conducted the welfare check on October 3, they observed what appeared to be a dead man through the window. When investigating the home, police found bloody foot and shoe prints and a discarded rubber glove on the stairs.
According to the affidavit, blood stains were found on cabinets, draws and door knobs in the home, and on a fence post close to where the person was captured on surveillance.
Pennsylvania State Police detectives performed a search warrant on a Winnebago parked at Heffernan’s home in Chester County and found “numerous spots of red staining on the carpet, appearing to be consistent with dried blood,” Rice stated.
A family member stated that Heffernan left the house to visit her father on Long Beach Island the previous week, calling it a “midnight dash,” according to the affidavit. This person told police how Heffernan was the only one who used the RV in the last two weeks. Rice said that the person and Heffernan believed Pitoy is the reason why Enders was selling the home and that she was after his money.
Heffernan is currently lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
