The Joyce Coleman Murder

It is almost the 34th anniversary of Long Valley ’s most notorious murder, the murder of Joyce Coleman. Joyce Coleman, 28-years-old, six months pregnant with her second son, was savagely murdered the night of Feb. 27, 1970 in her Bartley Road home.

The police investigation involved the interview of hundreds of people and extensive searches were made of the surrounding area. Police set up roadblocks to interview motorists to determine if they had seen anything unusual in the area of the Coleman's Bartley Road home. The lengthy investigation did not produce a suspect they could charge with the murder.

It appeared that the scene of the murder was a burglary gone bad. Investigators compiled the following time line for incidents leading up to the discovery of the murder. Wayne Coleman told investigators that he tried to call his wife before he left work in Newark , but could not get through because the line was busy. He said that he left work around 12:30 AM , and arrived about an hour later. When he entered thought the garage door, he heard his year old son crying. He then found his wife's bludgeoned body on the recreation room floor. Coleman then related that he ran over a neighbors' for help and pounded on their door, but couldn’t arouse anyone and returned home and called police.

The killer had taken a hunting knife from a gun rack, and stabbed Joyce Coleman. Investigators reported that Wayne Coleman reported items missing from the house. Coleman, reported $200 in pennies, a hair dryer, a Polaroid camera, a movie projector, a few pieces of jewelry and guns were missing from the scene. There were no signs of forced entry to the residence. Investigators determined the killer took hunting knife from a gun rack, and stabbed Joyce Coleman. The murderer then washed off the hunting knife in the kitchen sink and then placed it in a kitchen drawer with the other knives and forks. Investigators reported the neighbors heard nothing the night of the murder.

Since that time, the murder has never been truly off the minds of the police department. The murder weapons, clothing and other evidence has been carefully maintained. Many things have changed in the last thirty years and one of the most intriguing aspects of the case is the advances in Forensic Science. There have been amazing advances in the analysis of evidence in the last three decades. Currently, all the evidence in the Coleman murder is being re-examined to determine which pieces have the most potential to reveal information. Those pieces will be re-analyzed using twenty first century forensic science.

Forensic re-examination is only one aspect of the new focus on this crime. Time is generally not on the side of investigators, but in this case detectives hope that the passing of time may make it easier for anyone who has information about what happened on the night of Feb. 27, 1970 on Bartley Road . In 1990, during a periodic examination of the case, the Morris County Sheriff's Office Crime Stoppers offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of Joyce Coleman's murderer. The reward still stands. Anyone with information should call Detective Sergeant Jeff Almer of the Washington Township Police Department at 908.876.3232 or via e-mail, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, or the Morris County Sheriff's Office Crime Stoppers at (973) COP-CALL.

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