Where is Sherry Lee Heffernan now? Details explored ahead of People Magazine Investigates on ID

The brutal murders of John Enders and his partner Francoise Pitoy shocked their Surf City, New Jersey community but it was the revelation of Sherry Lee Heffernan as the murderer that shook them further. Investigators also revealed that Sherry, who was John's biological daughter had left behind a crime scene that looked like it was taken straight out of a movie, making the case even worse for the locals.

This case is set to be the subject of People Magazine Investigates season 8, episode 9 on ID, which is set to air at 9 pm EST on Monday, December 16, 2024. The synopsis for the episode reads:

"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."

When the police looked at the various elements surrounding the crime, they found surveillance footage that led them to Sherry Lee Heffernan. She seemingly had a good motive for the murders as well.

She was arrested and sentenced to life for the double murder of her father and his partner, and remains incarcerated as of today.

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What did Sherry Lee Heffernan do?

An elderly couple, John Enders and Francoise Pitoy were living in Surf City, New Jersey, in 2021 when their peaceful life was taken away from them.

Days after surveillance footage caught a mysterious figure entering and exiting John's house, police reached the residence on October 3, 2021. They were called to the house after they received multiple calls from family members. Once at the house, they found a horrific scene.

John Enders, 87, was found stabbed 51 times and shot in the face. An autopsy also revealed that he was bludgeoned and his carotid artery was severed. His partner, 75-year-old Francoise “Frenchy” Pitoy, was shot in the face and stabbed 39 times. The police determined that the couple was murdered in the early hours of September 29, 2021.

The police sprung to action and found surveillance footage from the house that gave them their first clue. They saw a large RV entering and exiting the premises in the early hours of September 29.

Authorities also discovered bloody footprints and a blood-stained glove at the scene, confirming that the murder was planned. Interviews with acquaintances revealed that John Enders had a dispute with one of his daughters, Sherry Lee Heffernan.

On further investigation, authorities found out that Sherry was recently removed from John's will after a series of arguments over the sale of his property on North 7th Street. Sherry was reportedly a realtor, and John had hired her to sell the property, but when she failed to do so, he decided to give the listing to someone else, leading to the beef.

Authorities theorized that Sherry Lee Heffernan's removal from the property and her exclusion from the will gave her enough motive to murder her father and his partner. She also had a 28-foot Winnebago RV, whose number plate matched that of the one caught in the footage. There were also traces of blood in the RV, which further confirmed their suspicion.

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Where is Sherry Lee Heffernan now?

During the trial, Sherry asserted that she loved her father and wouldn't have killed him. However, the prosecutors found enough evidence to charge her and a jury found her guilty of both murders. Sherry Lee was sentenced to two life terms for the murders without the possibility of parole.

Sherry Lee Heffernan, 58, continues to remain incarcerated in the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Union Township, New Jersey.

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The upcoming episode of People Magazine Investigates will cover this case in more detail.