Long Branch fire was murder-suicide, authorities say

Authorities say a two-alarm fire in a Long branch home on Sept. 1, 2015 in which the bodies of a couple and their two children were found, has been ruled a murder-suicide.

When fire crews entered the Joline Avenue residence on Sept. 1, 2015, they discovered the bodies of Lyndon “Shane” Beharry, 35 – a 16-year employee of the Long Branch Public Works Department –  Amanda Morris, 29, and their sons, Brandon Beharry, 7 and Brian Beharry, 4, police said.

On Thursday, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced that the post-mortem examination of all three victims by the medical examiner’s office revealed that Lyndon Beharry took the life of Amanda Morris and their two sons before he took his own life with a single gunshot wound.

The prosecutor said based on the medical examiner's findings, it was determined that Morris and Brandon Beharry were killed by smoke inhalation as well as thermal injuries "with gunshot wounds being a contributing factor."

Brian Beharry’s cause of death, authorities said, was the result of a gunshot wound to the torso. Thermal injuries and smoke inhalation from the fire were also considered contributing factors, the prosecutor said in a statement.

"All three victims’ manners of death were ruled to be homicides," Gramiccioni said.

According to authorities, Long Branch firefighters responded to the Joline Avenue home after receiving multiple 911 calls at 11:48 p.m. reporting the blaze. Fire and first aid crews from Long Branch, West Long Branch, Sea Bright, Oakhurst and Eatontown responded along with MonOc first aid, the prosecutor said.

Once the fire was suppressed, Gramiccioni said investigators went inside and discovered the bodies of the four residents inside a bedroom on the second floor. They were all transported to Monmouth Medical, "where despite live-saving efforts all died," the prosecutor said in a statement.

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.