BARNEGAT – No one answered when police knocked on the door of the blue house on Windward Drive. It was supposed to be a welfare check. Instead, after obtaining a key and stepping inside, officers found Eileen Garvin—the longtime school bus driver trusted with Barnegat children for years—dead inside her home.
The woman so many families knew from the driver’s seat of Bus 38 had apparently been dead for more than five hours. Newly released court records now provide the most detailed and painful account yet of what police encountered inside the Garvin home on September 7 and what investigators believe happened in the hours before they arrived.
William Garvin, 67, is charged with murder in the death of his 69-year-old wife. The charge is an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A Welfare Check And A Locked Door
Barnegat police were dispatched to the Garvins’ home at approximately 4:26 p.m. Officers knocked on the front door but received no response and found it locked. Police contacted one of the couple’s daughters and asked her to come to the house with a key. She arrived and provided officers with the key to enter the residence.
The first person officers encountered inside was William Garvin. According to court documents, he was sitting in an armchair in the living room with a knife protruding from his chest. Investigators said Garvin told the officers, “You guys are going to regret coming here.”
Police said he then grabbed the knife and pulled it from his chest. Officers drew their weapons and ordered him to drop it. Garvin eventually placed the knife on a cardboard box next to the chair and was taken into custody, according to the affidavit.
Officers then saw Eileen lying unresponsive on the living room floor. As they checked her for signs of life, investigators said William Garvin made another unsolicited statement: “She deserved it.” Court records say he also yelled toward neighbors outside the home, “I killed my wife.”
The statements attributed to William Garvin are allegations contained in court records and have not been tested at trial.
What Police Say Happened Earlier
What Garvin allegedly told police afterward provides a timeline of Eileen’s final day that was not known when her death was first reported. While being transported for medical treatment, Garvin allegedly told an officer that he had killed his wife at approximately 11 a.m. Police were called to the house at approximately 4:26 p.m.
If the time Garvin allegedly provided is accurate, Eileen had been dead inside her home for approximately five and a half hours before officers found her.
According to court records, Garvin told police he became angry after discovering that Eileen had drained his fishpond. He allegedly said he confronted her and pushed her into a door. When Eileen threatened to call police, investigators said Garvin told them he killed her.
The Garvins were going through a divorce but continued living in the same home. One of their daughters told investigators that Eileen had filed for divorce in July. She described arguments between her parents as frequent but mostly verbal and told detectives she was unaware of any previous physical violence between them.
Medical Examiner Reveals Cause Of Death
An autopsy provided information that was not available when Eileen’s death was first reported. The Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office made a preliminary determination that Eileen died from “asphyxia by manual strangulation and smothering.” Her death was ruled a homicide.
William Garvin was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center for treatment of his injuries. While there, investigators said he made another unsolicited statement in the presence of an Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office detective: “Is there a better penalty for killing your wife than dying?” According to the affidavit, the statement was captured on the detective’s body-worn camera.
Investigators subsequently obtained search warrants for the Windward Drive home, vehicles, electronic devices and other potential evidence as the investigation continued.
Remembering Eileen
Court records tell in painful detail what investigators believe happened during the final hours of Eileen’s life. They say far less about the 69 years that came before them.
For many Barnegat families, Eileen was the familiar face behind the wheel of a school bus, reportedly spending approximately 14 years driving local children.
But driving a school bus was only one part of her life. Her obituary describes Eileen as an active member of the St. Mary’s Church community and an artist who worked in several mediums. She especially loved watercolor and had what her family described as an incredible eye for realism.
Those closest to her remembered something else about Eileen. Her obituary describes a woman devoted to her family who readily offered others love, kindness and a hug. She was a mother and grandmother, as well as a sister, aunt and friend.
That affection was visible throughout Barnegat after her death. Bus 38 became a place for the community to grieve, with purple bunting representing victims of domestic violence stretched across the front of the bus parked outside the former Edwards School. Eileen’s photograph was placed behind the windshield as flowers and other remembrances accumulated around it.
For families who knew her from morning pickups and afternoon drop-offs, Eileen was a familiar face and someone they trusted with their children. To others, she was a fellow parishioner, an artist and, most importantly, someone they loved.
The blue house on Windward Drive is now part of the story of how Eileen’s life ended. Bus 38, her paintings, her church and the people who loved her tell the much larger story of how she lived.
There will be a Funeral Mass offered at St. Mary’s Church, 747 W. Bay Ave., Barnegat, NJ, on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM. Interment to follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Manahawkin.
You can donate in her name to catholiccharitiestrenton.org
Domestic Violence Resources
Anyone experiencing domestic violence or concerned about someone who may be in danger can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788. In an immediate emergency, call 911.
