Friends of 24-year-old Sloane Grodnick have shared an emotional tribute after she was killed in what they described as a “senseless act of violence,” alongside her parents inside their $1.7 million New Jersey home.
Sloane, her father David Grodnick, 61, and her mother, Lora, 62, were found with gunshot wounds to the head at the family’s residence on October 2.
Sloane and Lora were discovered in separate bedrooms. The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office said both women died from gunshot wounds to the head and classified their deaths as homicides.
David also died from a gunshot wound to the head, which authorities ruled a suicide. Officers made the grim discovery one day after trying to enter the property during a wellness check.
The deaths have stunned the affluent suburban community. In the aftermath, Sloane’s friends came together to create a lasting memorial in her honor.
They launched a GoFundMe campaign to pay for a living legacy tree and personalized plaque. The fundraiser reached its $3,500 target within 24 hours.
“We knew Sloane through her pre-teen years and watched her grow up. We spent countless days swimming, coloring, listening to music, and talking about everything happening in each of our lives, from the mundane to the exciting,” her friends wrote in a tribute posted with the fundraiser.
“You could throw any date at her in the past 50 years and she would know which day of the week it fell on. She was silly, she was funny, and she deserved so much more.”
Sloane Grodnick, 24, was found dead in what police believe was a murder-suicide carried out by her father. Friends described her death as a “senseless act of violence.”
Police believe David Grodnick, pictured above, killed his wife and daughter before turning the weapon on himself. Picture source: VCSO/Sloane Grodnick
The investigation began after police were unable to contact the family. Sloane is pictured above with her father. Picture source: VCSO/Sloane Grodnick
According to her friends, Sloane was passionate about art and was pursuing a master’s degree at the Rhode Island School of Design. She had previously studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
In keeping with that passion, her friends hope to place the memorial at Grounds for Sculpture, a New Jersey park known for its sculptures, art installations and carefully landscaped gardens.
“This way, her memory will be surrounded by what she loved most, and those that loved her will have a place to visit and keep her memory alive,” they wrote.
Supporters responded swiftly, helping Sloane’s friends meet their fundraising goal in less than a day. In an update, the organizers said they were in “complete disbelief” at the response.
They said the outpouring of support “meant the world” as they worked to honor Sloane and promised to provide further updates about the tree dedication.
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The fundraiser said Sloane was killed on September 30 in a “senseless act of violence.” Prosecutors have not confirmed the precise time of death for Sloane or her parents.
Mian Helaly, 73, a neighbor of the family, told the New York Post that he began to suspect something was wrong when the family stopped maintaining the landscaping around their home.
“I thought the house was number one in the [neighborhood for] maintaining their lawn,” Helaly told the outlet.
Lora and Sloane are pictured with rock star Rod Stewart. Picture source: VCSO/Sloane Grodnick
Officers found the two women in separate bedrooms, Grodnick was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Picture source: VCSO/Sloane Grodnick
‘I think a couple of months or more they were not maintaining it. It was very unusual. It disturbed me.’
Helaly believed the Grodnicks spent a small fortune on new trees and yard maintenance, saying David and Lora worked 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.’
Grodnick worked as a senior vice president at Land Services USA, an insurance agency, starting in May 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The family’s home in Grodnick, New Jersey is pictured
He also spent 20 years at another insurance agency, First American Title, where he served in multiple vice president roles and eventually rose to director of the North Atlantic Region of National Commercial Services.
He earned a degree in business administration from the University of Miami and a BA in English from McDaniel College.
The family had moved from Princeton to Montgomery Township and were members of the exclusive Bedens Brook Country Club in Skillman, according to Montgomery News.
The investigation into the murder-suicide is ongoing. Our News Outlet has reached out to the Montgomery Township Police and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office for an update.
