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John Ender lived in Surf City, New Jersey with his partner Francoise Pitoy until they were brutally killed. The couple was shot and stabbed to death in their house on September 29, 2021, leaving their neighborhood and community shocked. Their brutal murder left friends and family wondering what went wrong and who could have killed the couple.
As the police investigated the crime further, they discovered that the killer was John Ender's daughter, Sherry Lee Heffernan. After charging her with the retired couple's death, Sherry was put on trial and found guilty of the murders. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and is serving time in a women's prison in New Jersey.
The murder of John and Francoise is the subject of People Magazine Investigates latest episode, set to premiere on Monday, December 16, 2024, at 9 pm EST. The synopsis for the episode reads:
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"In 2021, police find a retired couple stabbed repeatedly in their home on the New Jersey shore. They witness a mysterious figure coming and going on security footage, which leads them to a suspect who is very close to home with a desire for revenge."
This case is filled with details that give an insight into the killer's mind and the crime that remains fresh in the minds of Surf City residents even today. Ahead of this episode, let us go over five such chilling details that would appeal to all true crime fans alike.
5 key facts about John Enders and Francoise Pitoy's double murder
1) The elderly couple were found days after the murder took place
John Enders and Francoise Pitoy were not discovered till Francoise's family members reached out to the police after failing to contact her. This was already days after the two were murdered and left to rot in their house.
Authorities reached the house and discovered the brutal murder scene on October 2, 2021. It was later determined that they were killed on September 29.
2) The murder scene was as gruesome as it gets
When the authorities arrived, they saw a horrific crime scene that was nothing short of shocking. John Enders was found sitting in a recliner on the main level with a gunshot wound to his face. He was also reportedly stabbed 51 times.
Francoise Pitoy was found on the landing of the stairs, also with a gunshot wound to the face. She was also stabbed 39 times. It was later revealed in the autopsy that John Ender was also bludgeoned and his carotid artery severed.
3) Surveillance footage gave authorities the first clue to cracking the case
When the authorities started looking at the murder, they discovered surveillance footage that caught a huge RV entering the premises on September 29, 2021. This became their first clue to cracking the murder.
The bloody gloves found at the scene indicated the premeditated nature of the crime.
4) Authorities discovered a dispute John Ender had with his daughter, Sherry Lee Heffernan
With one clue in place, the interviews soon discovered that John Ender had problems with his daughter Sherry Lee Heffernan, who he removed from his will recently. The dispute was over selling Ender's property on North 7th Street, for which he hired Heffernan, a realtor.
However, when she failed to sell it, he tried to give it to someone else, leading to the dispute. This also possibly prompted him to remove her from his will.
5) Sherry Lee Heffernan is serving time for killing her father and his partner
Alongside the clear motive, the police also found that Shery owned a large RV, which also had blood stains. The number plate of the RV also matched the one that was caught in the footage, clearly painting her as the culprit.
In her trial, she was sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole due to the mountain of evidence. She remains incarcerated in the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Union Township, New Jersey.
The upcoming episode of People Magazine Investigates will cover this case in more detail.
