Sherry Heffernan's case - A complete timeline of events 

Sherry Heffernan's case concerns the 2021 murders of her father, John Enders, and his long-term girlfriend, Francoise Pitoy, at a beachfront residence in Surf City, New Jersey. Heffernan, a 57-year-old real estate agent from Landenberg, Pennsylvania, was charged by authorities with shooting and stabbing the victims in what prosecutors described as a premeditated attack related to family disputes over property and inheritance.

Tensions escalated after Enders, 87, removed Heffernan and her sister from his will, despite owning the valuable Long Beach Island home. The gruesome crime scene, where both victims were found days later during a welfare check, drew attention to the case. Heffernan was arrested based on evidence such as bloody footprints, surveillance footage, and vehicle tracking.

She was convicted and received two life sentences after a trial in Ocean County Superior Court. The investigation and motives are explored in Sherry Heffernan, episode 22 of season 35 of Oxygen's true crime series Snapped.

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Background and family dynamics of the Sherry Heffernan case

Snapped: season 35, episode 22 (Representative Image via Unsplash/@Ethan Wilkinson)

John Enders, 87 years old and retired, lived in a six-bedroom shorefront mansion on North 7th Street in Surf City, New Jersey, valued at about $2 million. Enders shared the house with Francoise Pitoy, 75, his longtime companion, who often stayed there from her home in Manchester, New Jersey.

Enders had two daughters, one of whom was Sherry Heffernan, a real estate agent in Pennsylvania. Family tensions rose in early 2021 when Enders changed his will, removing Heffernan and her sister as beneficiaries and putting the Surf City property solely in his name.

Prosecutors later said Heffernan had urged selling the home, but Enders refused, which increased resentment. Authorities suggested Heffernan considered Pitoy to be an influence on such actions and helped breed tension, according to Asbury Park Press. When the remains were found on October 3, 2021, evidence pointed to a violent struggle, with blood spattered across the rooms.

No signs of forced entry were found, indicating someone familiar with the property was involved. Heffernan's unrelated past charges in Pennsylvania for shoplifting were mentioned during the case but did not connect to this incident, according to CBS News Philadelphia.

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Timeline of events

Sherry Heffernan was sentenced to two lifetimes in prison (Representative Image via Unsplash/@Campbell Jensen)

The saga began in early 2021 when John Enders updated his will, omitting his daughters and gaining full ownership of his house in Surf City. Sherry Heffernan allegedly drove her Winnebago RV from Pennsylvania to New Jersey by September 29, 2021, and arrived at the house early in the morning.

Prosecutors said she jumped over a fence, entered the house, and assaulted Enders and Pitoy in their beds, shooting both in the face and stabbing Pitoy 39 times and Enders 51 times. Both victims died from stab wounds and shots, with Enders also incurring head trauma. Their bodies were not found until October 3, 2021, when Surf City police conducted a welfare check at 4 pm based on relatives' concerns.

Autopsies conducted on October 4 and 5 confirmed homicides. Sherry Heffernan was arrested at her Pennsylvania residence on October 4, 2021, by state police and extradited to New Jersey on October 20. She faced two counts of first-degree murder and weapons charges, according to AP News. Detention hearings took place later in November 2021, during which evidence, including blood footprints and video surveillance, was presented.

The trial began in late February 2024 at Ocean County Superior Court and lasted about four weeks. The jury found her guilty on all charges on March 1, 2024. Sentencing took place on May 10, 2024, and consisted of two consecutive life sentences with more than 63 years minimum without parole per count, according to Asbury Park Press.

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Investigation, trial, and aftermath

Sherry Heffernan murdered two people (Representative Image via Unsplash/@Larry Farr)

The investigation involved several agencies, including the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, Surf City Police, New Jersey State Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Key evidence included GPS tracking from Sherry Heffernan's RV and cellphone, surveillance footage showing a person in oversized clothing outside the home, and shoe prints matching the footwear found inside her house.

Although no DNA or fingerprints directly connected her to the crime, prosecutors described the case as circumstantial but compelling, according to CBS News Philadelphia. During the February 2024 trial before Judge Kimarie Rahill, the state emphasized the severity of the attack, which involved non-fatal shots intended to cause pain and dragging Enders to continue stabbing him.

The defense argued that the evidence was insufficient, questioning the identifications in the footage and the absence of direct proof. A jail phone call in which Heffernan discussed her alibi was played, the People reported.

After her conviction on March 1, 2024, her sentencing on May 10 included victim impact statements from Enders' grandson and Pitoy's daughter, describing ongoing family pain. Heffernan expressed remorse and maintained her innocence. She is currently incarcerated at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in New Jersey, according to AP News.

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