Colts Neck Man Charged With Murder Of Former NYC Fireman

By PATRICIA A. MILLER (Patch Staff)

A Colts Neck man has been charged with the murder of a former New York City fireman who lived in Barnegat Light, the Ocean County Prosecutor‘s Office announced Wednesday.

Conrad Sipa, 52, Homelands Drive, has also been charged with possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes. Superior Court Judge James J. Blaney set Sipa’s bail at $1 million cash, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Prosecutor’s Office.

An autopsy conducted by Dr. Ian Hood of the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s officer determined that Doody died from blunt force trauma to his head and slash wounds to his neck. Hood ruled the death a homicide, Della Fave said.

Doody’s body was found at his Central Avenue home in Barnegat Light by Long Beach Township police officers on Monday, after a concerned family member was unable to contact him.

Sipa was taken into custody at his residence Wednesday afternoon. A murder conviction carries a mandatory minimum term of incarceration of 30 years and a maximum term of life. Possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose is a second-degree crime, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in New Jersey state prison, Della Fave said.

The investigation is being conducted by detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Long Beach Township Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigations Unit.

The victim’s residence was meticulously examined and processed by members of the Crime Scene Investigations Unit. Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato commended the efforts of Detective Steve Capuano and Sergeants Shannon Dugan and Valerie Seiser, of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigations Unit, for their efforts in identifying, preserving, collecting and analyzing items of evidence in this case, Della Fave said.

The Colts Neck Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office provided assistance with the arrest at Sipa’s residence.

Anyone with any information concerning this case is asked to contact Detective Raymond Gardner of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 929-2027 or Detective Ronald Hullings of the Long Beach Township Police Department at (609) 494-3322.