Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that the victim who perished in a structure fire at 1 Miles Pond Road in Berkeley Township on July 20, 2023, has been identified as Janet Conroy, 77, the owner of the residence.
On July 20, 2023, at approximately 1:50 p.m., the Berkeley Township Police Department and Berkeley Township Fire Departments were dispatched to a structure fire at 1 Miles Pond Road in Berkeley Township. During fire suppression efforts, the deceased body of Ms. Conroy was discovered in the dining room of the home.
A thorough and extensive investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Berkeley Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and Berkeley Township Bureau of Fire Prevention, determined that the fire originated in the kitchen of the home – more specifically in the dishwasher – and that a failure of energized electrical equipment cannot be eliminated as the cause of the fire. The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental.
“Thank you to everyone that reached out to our Office and assisted us with locating Ms. Conroy’s family. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to all of the agencies that responded to and investigated the cause of this tragic fire,” stated Prosecutor Billhimer.