a millionaire hospital executive stabbed to death his wife then set fire to their new jersey home in a murder suicide, officials have ruled   despite the couple's children insisting they were both murdered john sheridan, 72, the ceo of cooper health system, and his 69 year old wife, joyce sheridan, were found dead, with seven stab wounds between them, in their blazing skillman house last september mrs sheridan, a retired high school teacher, died from a stab wound to her chest, while her husband, an ally of state governor chris christie, passed away from 'sharp force injuries' and smoke inhalation on friday, prosecutors ruled mr sheridan had attacked his wife with a knife in the seconds leading up to their deaths, which occurred just a day after the couple had decorated their home for halloween 'murder suicide': john sheridan (left), 72 ,stabbed to death his wife, joyce (right), 69, then set fire to their home in a murder suicide, officials have ruled   despite the couple's children insisting they were murdered  crime scene: mr sheridan, the millionaire ceo of cooper health system, and his wife were found dead, with seven stab wounds between them, in their blazing skillman, new jersey, house (pictured) last september  mrs sheridan suffered eight wounds to her head, a stab injury to her chest that 'perforated her aorta', wounds to her hands that were 'characterized as defensive in nature' and bruising, officials said she was ruled to have died before the fire started  on september 28 after killing his wife of 47 years with a 'carving type knife', mr sheridan then doused the room with gasoline and set it alight, it is said mr sheridan finally stabbed himself with a sharp item three times in the torso and neck area, causing a 'small perforation to the right jugular vein', prosecutors ruled he was then overcome by thick smoke despite the murder suicide ruling, announced by somerset county prosecutor geoffrey soriano on friday, the four grown sons of the sheridans have released a statement challenging the findings the men, including mark sheridan, who is a prominent republican election law lawyer, said they were not satisfied with the result of the investigation and still don't know who killed their parents 'the conclusion announced today fails to provide those answers,' the sons' statement said connections: mr sheridan (left) is pictured with, from left, george norcross iii, new jersey governor chris christie and dr paul katz during an event in 2012 he was an influential member of the republican party  revelation: on friday, prosecutors said in a statement (pictured) that mr sheridan had fatally stabbed his wife on the day of their deaths, which occurred just a day after they had decorated their home for halloween  'it is nothing more than an expedient way for the prosecutor's office to close its file and put an end to its embarrassing bungling of this murder investigation in the hope that our family, the citizens of somerset county and the press will stop inquiring about what actually happened authorities discovered the sheridans' bodies in their master bedroom after responding to a report of a fire  shortly before 615am mr sheridan was found lying face up at the foot of the couple's bed the top portion of a two piece, armoire dresser was discovered resting on his body, according to officials seconds later, mrs sheridan was found lying face up on the floor to the left of the bed the wealthy couple did not leave behind a will, while two knives were found in the master bedroom near their bodies following the grim discoveries, soriano's office spent six months investigating damaged: after killing his wife with a 'carving type knife', mr sheridan set fire to their home with gasoline and matches, it is said above, a police vehicle is seen stationed outside the burned property on september 29  police at the scene: mr sheridan finally stabbed himself with a sharp item three times in the torso and neck area, causing a 'small perforation to the right jugular vein', officials ruled he was then overcome by smoke  on  friday, the office said some of the 180 interviews carried out during the investigation had revealed mr sheridan had been withdrawn and acting unusually in the days before the deaths he was described as being 'out of character', 'very upset' and with 'an attitude of resignation' the investigation also found no signs of a break in at the montgomery county home, officials said however, the couple's sons have argued some key evidence is missing in the case the sheridans owned two homes   the $512,000 property where the fire unfolded and another in new york mr sheridan was president and ceo of camden based cooper university health care, which has more than 700 physicians and serves more than half a million patients a year, when he died memorial service: the couple's joint memorial service drew hundreds of mourners including gov christie and four of his predecessors, ex governors jim florio, christine whitman, tom kean and don difrancesco  last year, njbiz valued his company at $913million mr sheridan, a republican, was also an important political figure who served as general counsel to the new jersey turnpike authority the couple's joint memorial service drew hundreds of mourners including gov christie and four of his predecessors, ex governors jim florio, christine whitman, tom kean and don difrancesco as well as their four sons, the sheridans left behind three grandchildren in a case unrelated to the fire, one of the sons, matthew sheridan, 40, was arrested hours after their deaths for cocaine possession and possession of drug paraphernalia found in his car prosecutors have not yet pursued the charges against mr sheridan, but have five years to do so
cooper health system sheridan joyce john sheridan last year friday new jersey 72 69 september 28
john sheridan and wife, joyce, found dead in new jersey home last year  they had both been stabbed several times, while their house was ablaze  on friday, prosecutors ruled mr sheridan, 72, stabbed to death wife, 69  cooper health system ceo 'then set fire to house and stabbed himself' couple's children have released statement challenging official findings  four sons say they still don't know who killed parents on september 28  but prosecutors said inquiry found no signs of break in at the property  also said mr sheridan was 'withdrawn' and 'very upset' prior to deaths 