Neighbors reveal house proud executive’s strange behavior in months before he killed himself, wife and daughter in New Jersey mansion massacre

DAILYMAIL.COM • 7h ago

By JOE HUTCHISON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER 14:24 09 Oct 2026, updated 18:45 09 Oct 2026

The neighbor of an executive who killed his family and himself in a murder-suicide said the once house-proud shooter’s neglect of his lawn was a possible indicator of his declining mental state.

David Grodnick, 61, his wife Lora, 62, and their daughter Sloane, 24, were all found with gunshot wounds inside the family’s Montgomery Township, New Jersey, home.

The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office announced their identities on Tuesday, while ruling the deaths of the two women as homicides and David’s a suicide.

The New York Post has since spoken with neighbor Mian Helaly, 73, who said he suspected something was wrong after the family failed to keep on top of their landscaping.

Helaly told the outlet: ‘I thought the house was number one in the [neighborhood for] maintaining their lawn.

‘I think a couple of months or more they were not maintaining it. It was very unusual. It disturbed me.’

Helaly believed that the Grodnicks spent a small fortune on new trees and maintaining the yard, saying that both David and Lora would work on it together.

‘All of a sudden, I noticed that in recent months they were not focusing on the lawn. The grass was ground out. They were not trimming the trees’, he added.

Helaly told the outlet that the overgrown lawn was a sign to him that ‘something was not right’ and ‘not going their way.’

He described the triple killing as ‘very, very shocking,’ adding: ‘You would never believe a terrible thing like this would happen.’

Officials said they were called to the home last Thursday after receiving a call to check on the family.

Police started investigating after failing to make contact with the family, and on Friday they made entry into the property.

A statement from the office said that officers found the two women in separate bedrooms, Grodnick was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

It added: ‘The deceased male was positively identified as David Grodnick, age 61, husband to Lora and father to Sloane.

‘His cause of death was a gunshot wound of the head, and the manner of death was ruled a suicide.

‘The investigation, which remains ongoing, has yielded that the homicide deaths of both Lora and Sloane Grodnick were an isolated incident and there are no threats to the public from this tragic occurrence.

‘No further information will be available for release at this time.’

According to Montgomery News, Grodnick worked as a senior vice president for Land Services USA, an insurance agency.

He attended the University of Miami and had a degree in business administration from the school, the outlet reported as well as a BA in English from McDaniel College.

Sloane had graduated from The Hun School, a private boarding school in Princeton, before graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

The family had moved from Princeton to Montgomery Township and were members of the exclusive Bedens Brook Country Club in Skillman, the outlet said.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.

Boy, 15, and father are fighting for their lives in hospital after being stabbed by masked men who…

Farmer who was renowned for sharing his business struggles dies aged 35 after starrring role on BBC…

Celebrity plastic surgeon is executed in front of customers in Marbella clinic after ‘threats from a…

King pays Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s £1.5million bill to repair Royal Lodge – after former prince…

Kate and William wow the crowds as they charm royal fans on surprise visit to Belfast

Meghan, Harry and the children WON’T stay in UK for Christmas with King Charles – heading back to…

‘Traveller’ burglary squad strikes again: Terrifying moment balaclava-clad gang linked to 50…

Houthis ‘destroy Saudi passenger jet’ killing pilot at Riyadh’s international airport as Iran-backed…

British mother who broke her back in Greece when car slammed into her quadbike is left with £28,000…

Student riots spread to Belgium as hundreds of hooded protesters clash with police sparking ‘total…

Woman, 35, found in burning van after being ‘murdered’ was pregnant – and ‘could have been alive…

Father had e-bike battery repaired before it sparked house fire that killed his two young children…

Harry was paid ‘up to $100K’ for coping with grief ‘masterclass’: Prince pocketed fee as a…

Mother of 11-year-old girl found dead in village park suffering ‘every parent’s worst nightmare’

Burnham’s government hits out at Hegseth’s ‘disturbing’ plan to livestream firing squad execution -…

Monkey torturer who ran online ‘cult’ that dressed animals as babies and fed them into blenders is…

Neighbors reveal exec’s strange behavior before family massacreComments are subject to our House rules and TermsNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}

No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first.

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{#replies.comments}}{{^isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{#isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{/replies.comments}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{^replies.totalCount}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{/isComment}}The opinions and views expressed in the comments section are solely those of the individual users and do not represent or reflect the opinions, views, or positions of MailOnline. MailOnline does not endorse, support, or verify the accuracy of any user-generated content.Terms|Privacy|FeedbackOldest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}