Fire was set

Barbara Boyer and Melanie Burney have an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about a pair of local deaths:

A fire in the Central New Jersey home of Cooper University Health System's chief executive officer and his wife was intentionally set, officials have said, but they did not disclose who set it, or whether the fire caused the couple's deaths.
The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office released a statement that investigators had determined that the blaze in John and Joyce Sheridan's second-floor master bedroom was not accidental. The statement did not indicate how the fire started, or whether there was evidence of an intruder in the home in the Skillman section of Montgomery Township.
The disclosure compounded the shock that legions of friends, neighbors, coworkers, and political figures who knew the Sheridans felt at learning of their deaths.
Cooper University Health System said: "We are saddened and shocked by what has been reported about the death of John Sheridan and his wife, Joyce. Their deaths, already unbelievably sad, are now tragic."
John P. Sheridan Jr., 72, was a political insider and had considered retiring soon from Cooper, where he had worked since 2005. Joyce Sheridan, 69, was a retired teacher in the South Brunswick, New Jersey school system.
The couple's four adult sons released a statement through a family friend that read in part:

"We cannot fathom, much less explain, the circumstances of their passing. Losing a parent is painful. Losing them both has been excruciating, and we ask everyone to respect our need to privately grieve, process our loss, and support each other as the family our parents raised us to be."

From the start, officials have released little information surrounding the fire and deaths. All questions have been directed to the Prosecutor's Office. Captain Jack Bennett, a spokesman for that office, has issued only short responses through emails. The news release left many questions unanswered.
"If they had died because the house was on fire, that would be a terrible, terrible tragedy," said Cooper Health System trustee Peter E. Driscoll, a senior member of the Haddonfield, New Jersey law firm of Archer & Greiner. "I don't know what to make of it. I can't imagine anybody that would want to do something like this."
The Sheridan family has not announced whether funeral arrangements have been made, or whether services will be public or private. "The death of our parents has left a hole in our hearts and family that can never be filled. Their passing is a tragedy to everyone who knew and loved them as we did," the children said in their statement. "We ask everyone to remember them as the wonderful parents and friends they were. Remember them as two people who loved each other, their family, and their friends generously and unconditionally."
Authorities said the investigation was launched after smoke was reported coming from the home about 6:15 a.m. Those investigating included detectives from the major crimes unit and the county arson task force.
Prosecutor Geoffery Soriano said in the news release that "the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Sheridan remain an active and ongoing investigation, with laboratory results still pending."
The Montgomery Township business administrator, Donato Niemen, said: "It's certainly a tragedy." He also said that "all the resources available to law enforcement are being given."
Mayor Rich Smith said in a statement that: "The passing of John and Joyce Sheridan is very sad news to all of us in Montgomery. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Sheridan family."
John Sheridan was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife was taken to Princeton Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Before joining Cooper in Camden, John Sheridan was a senior partner and cochairman of the Morristown, New Jersey law firm of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti. He also served as general counsel to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Sheridan had also been an attorney for the Carrier Clinic, a nonprofit psychiatric hospital and drug rehabilitation center in Belle Mead, New Jersey. He also served on the clinic's board of trustees. Sheridan also served as state transportation commissioner under Governor Thomas H. Kean, and chairman of the board of the NJ Transit Corp. from 1982 to 1985.
Most recently, Sheridan was a staunch supporter of the newly-created Cooper-Rowan University medical school in Camden, New Jersey, hoping to turn the struggling city into a thriving center.
"I'm saddened and shocked tremendously," said Rowan University president Ali A. Houshmand, who also served on the Cooper board of trustees with Sheridan. "It's a very sad situation for an amazing man. Now is the time for the investigators to find out who did it," Houshmand said.
Although Sheridan was Cooper's top executive, he was known to walk throughout the hospital's campus, making sure everything was being run properly.
One patient, Dee Allen, 59, of Pleasantville, New Jersey, was treated for leukemia that is now in remission. She met Sheridan while receiving chemotherapy in 2012. He wanted to speak to patients about their care. "He genuinely wanted to find out how we were doing," Allen said. Her husband, Tracy, a retired Atlantic City Electric Company employee, recalled that during his wife's fourth round of chemo, a nurse arrived and said that "a couple of big shots want to interview us about our experiences. Sheridan and another gentleman came in and introduced themselves, and wanted us to talk about the services at the hospital. Dee told them everything was perfect, except for the beds." After that, Allen said, "I saw him numerous times in the lobby, or in an elevator, and he would always say hi. He was really, really down-to-earth."

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