What to Know
- New Jersey State Police are still working to solve the 40-year-old murders of a couple and their 3-year-old son
- The bodies of Gary Deal, his wife Joan and their son Jason were found on Monday, Oct. 30, 1978 in Folsom, New Jersey
- All had their throats slashed; the parents were also shot in the head multiple times. No one has ever been charged
State Police are asking the public for helping solving the 40-year-old murders of a South Jersey couple and their 3-year-old son.
The scene on Monday, Oct. 30, 1978 was horrifying. State Police responding to a triple homicide on Mays Landing Road in Folsom found the father, Gary Deal, lying dead on the floor near the front door. He had been shot in the head multiple times and his throat was cut.
His wife, Joan, was found naked on the couple's bedroom floor. She too had been shot in the head multiple times and had her throat cut.
Their little boy, Jason, was discovered dead on his bed with his throat slashed. He was still wearing his pajamas.
Authorities learned the last time anyone had contact with the family was the night of Thursday, Oct. 26, 1978, four days before they were found murdered.
"The brutal murder of the Deal family sent shockwaves throughout New Jersey and across the country, with numerous local and federal law enforcement agencies assisting with the case," State Police said in a statement Wednesday. "The original detectives conducted an extremely thorough and relentless investigation, compiling volumes of information before exhausting all leads."
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Multiple suspects were identified over the course of the investigation, but no one was ever charged. The case has remained under investigation for the last 40 years, and updated leads are still being sought.
Ballistic and DNA evidence that were originally collected from the crime scene have recently been resubmitted for additional testing due to new technological advances, State Police said.
Troopers want to bring closure to the Deal family and their community, State Police said. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Mario Nocito, of the New Jersey State Police Homicide South Unit, at 609-561-1800 ext. 3354.
