New Jersey Insurance Executive, Wife and Daughter Found Dead in $1.75 Million Home

A New Jersey insurance executive, his wife and their 24-year-old daughter were found dead inside their Montgomery Township home in what authorities have determined was a double homicide followed by suicide.

David Grodnick, 61, Lora Grodnick, 62, and Sloane Grodnick, 24, were discovered inside the family’s home on Wild Azalea Lane on October 2, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. Postmortem examinations determined that Lora and Sloane died from gunshot wounds to the head and ruled their deaths homicides. David also died from a gunshot wound to the head, with his death classified as a suicide.

Authorities have said the deaths were an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Welfare Check Led to Discovery

The investigation began the previous afternoon.

At approximately 2:59 p.m. on October 1, Montgomery Township police were asked to conduct a welfare check at the family’s home. Officers arrived but were unable to make contact with anyone inside, prompting an investigation into the occupants’ whereabouts.

Police returned the following day and gained entry to the property shortly before 6 p.m.

Inside, they found Lora and Sloane in separate bedrooms. David was found elsewhere in the house with a firearm, according to authorities. All three were pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset.

Investigators have not said how long the three had been dead before police arrived.

The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Montgomery Township Police Department are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

David Grodnick’s Career

David Grodnick worked as senior vice president and underwriting counsel for Land Services USA, a Philadelphia-based insurance company involved in commercial real estate transactions across the country.

According to The Montgomery News, Grodnick studied business administration at the University of Miami and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from McDaniel College, where he played lacrosse.

The family lived in a property that Zillow valued at approximately $1.75 million.

Sloane Grodnick’s Education

Sloane had attended The Hun School in Princeton before going on to study at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

She was later pursuing a master’s degree at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Photographs shared online showed Sloane with her parents, including images of her with her father David and her mother Lora. One photograph from 2019 also showed Sloane and Lora posing with singer Rod Stewart.

The family had previously lived in Princeton before moving to Montgomery Township. They were members of Bedens Brook Country Club in Skillman and TPC Jasna Polana, a private club in Princeton.

Investigation Continues

The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office said investigators have determined that the deaths of Lora and Sloane were an isolated occurrence.

Officials have not disclosed a motive or provided further details about what happened inside the home before police arrived.

For now, authorities say there is no threat to the wider public while the investigation continues.