LACEY – Police are still investigating a family tragedy here today, where a man killed his wife, child, and dog, before killing himself.
The tragedy took place at 212 Nautilus Blvd. at about 4 p.m. Aug. 16. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office is not releasing the identities yet, and reported that there will be no more updates today.
What they did confirm is the ages of the people involved. The wife was 48. The child was 7. The husband was 51. He died of self-inflicted wounds after being brought to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. The dog was a Welsh corgi.
The Prosecutor’s Office and Lacey Police reported they are certain that the violence was contained to the household and that there is no danger to anyone in the neighborhood.
Neighbors were shocked at the turn of events.
“It was so unexpected,” said next door neighbor Claudio Coppola. He had moved into his house in 1991, and estimated that the family had moved in around eight or nine years ago.
“He was a nice guy,” he said, although he didn’t know him well. Just a few greetings in passing, like a lot of neighbors. He knew that the child liked to play his drums, but he didn’t really interact with the family that much.
There were definitely no hints that something like this could have happened, he said.
“There were no red flags at all,” he said.
Jack Hayes lives across the street. He said he didn’t know the family, and didn’t think that anyone nearby did. They mostly kept to themselves.
“It is pretty quiet here, other than the traffic,” he said. Nautilus meets Route 9 at an intersection with no traffic light. Nautilus and Sunrise Boulevard handle much of the traffic of people coming to and from lagoon properties there.
Lacey is a relatively quiet town. The biggest issues are usually about land use and traffic.
The incident did call to mind a similar one in 2004. The Rosenbergers came to an end due to a murder-suicide as well. That couple had filed restraining orders and reports of domestic violence against each other. Their three children had recently been taken away by the Division of Youth and Services. Kathleen Rosenberger, 33, had recently picked up Kurt Rosenberger, 37, from jail. A witness said he was in the Lakeside Drive South home when a fight break out between them. It ended with the father stabbing the mother multiple times before killing himself.
