FOLSOM, NJ — The New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit is again asking the public for help in the unsolved 1978 killings of Gary Deal, Joan Deal and their 3-year-old son, Jason Deal. Investigators say the family was found dead inside their home on Mays Landing Road in Atlantic County, and the case has never been solved.
The renewed appeal comes nearly five decades after the killings shocked the Folsom community. State police say detectives continue to believe that someone may still have information that could help move the investigation forward, even if details seemed minor at the time.
Investigators say the family was found dead on October 30, 1978
Authorities discovered the bodies of the Deal family on Oct. 30, 1978, inside their residence. Gary Deal and Joan Deal were both 26 years old when they died, and their son Jason was found dead in his bedroom.
According to state police, Gary and Joan Deal suffered multiple gunshot wounds and injuries from a sharp-edged weapon. Jason Deal also suffered fatal injuries. The agency has described the killings as senseless and said the entire family was killed in their home.
Police have not said in the renewed appeal that any suspect has been identified, and the murders remain unsolved. The case has become one of the long-running cold cases that investigators continue to revisit as new technology and information become available.
Cold case detectives have repeatedly returned to the evidence
State police say the investigation did not stop after the original inquiry. Detectives have followed numerous leads over the years and gone back over evidence more than once in hopes of finding something new.
As forensic science has improved, crime-scene evidence has been examined again with advanced DNA analysis and ballistic testing. Investigators say those methods were used in an effort to generate fresh leads, but the case still has no resolution.
The agency says the passage of time can work in detectives’ favor as well as against them. People who were once unwilling to speak may now be ready to share what they know, and information that did not seem useful in 1978 could matter today.
Police are looking for anyone connected to the Folsom area in 1978
The Cold Case Unit says it wants to hear from anyone who lived in, worked in or frequently visited the Folsom area in 1978. Investigators are also interested in people who knew the Deal family or saw suspicious activity near the home.
Detectives want to speak with anyone who heard conversations about the killings before or after they happened. State police say even small details could help identify someone with information about what occurred inside the home or who may have been nearby.
The agency’s message is that time has not closed the case. Instead, investigators say they are continuing to look for the kind of information that may only now be coming forward.
State police say the killings left lasting pain in the community
In renewing the appeal, state police said the murders shocked the Folsom community and left loved ones searching for answers that have remained out of reach for decades. The agency called the slaying of the family senseless and said the case has lingered as a painful reminder of an unsolved crime.
Investigators say the continuing uncertainty is part of why they are reaching out again. Even after years of work, the case remains open, and police say the family deserves answers.
The renewed public request also reflects a broader cold-case strategy: reintroducing long-unsolved crimes to the public in case someone with firsthand knowledge is now willing to come forward. State police say that possibility is still real in this case.
How to contact the New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective I Dominic Rubino of the New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit. The agency says tips can be shared by phone at 1-833-4NJ-Cold, or 833-465-2653.
People can also send information by email to [email protected]. New Jersey State Police say anonymous tips are welcome as well.
The investigation remains active, and police are hoping the renewed appeal reaches someone who can help explain what happened inside the Deal family home on Mays Landing Road in 1978.
