Credit: NJSP
The New Jersey State Police are seeking the public’s assistance with a cold case homicide investigation from 1979.
On June 2, 1979, the body of an unidentified white male was discovered in a shallow grave off a dirt road in a wooded area near Jericho Road in Quinton Township, Salem County. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and the estimated time of death was during the winter of 1978/1979.
The victim was found dressed in white painter’s pants, black Pro‑Keds sneakers, and a plaid cotton shirt. He was also wearing a heavy black‑and‑white pullover sweater and a dark blue, waist‑length Lee wool jacket. The jacket featured a gold‑plated initial “R” on the right pocket flap and a small gold‑plated cross on the left pocket flap.
In March 2023, the NJSP Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation and employed investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) in partnership with the Ramapo College of New Jersey Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center. Through this collaborative work, the victim was identified as Robert Dean Irelan, who had most recently lived in Pleasantville, New Jersey, and was known to have spent time in Atlantic City.
Anyone with information or who knew Robert Dean Irelan is urged to contact the NJSP Cold Case Unit at [email protected]. Anonymous tips are welcome.
Republished courtesy of New Jersey State Police