Ventnor Woman Indicted for Murder of Husband after Remains were Discovered in Closet

MAYS LANDING – A Ventnor woman was indicted for the murder of her husband after a six-year missing person investigation led to the discovery of the victim’s remains in the woman’s closet, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced today.

On Tuesday, April 8, Loretta Doyle Burroughs, 62, of Ventnor was indicted for murder and hindering her own apprehension, in connection with stabbing death of her husband, Daniel Burroughs, 66, when both lived on Leipzig Avenue in Hamilton Township.

Daniel Burroughs was reported missing to Hamilton Township Police in September 2007, when the couple lived in the Leipzig Avenue house, in Mays Landing.

Following her husband’s disappearance, Loretta Burroughs moved to a home on the 300 block of Hampshire Avenue in Ventnor. In May 2013 Burroughs was relocating to a residence on West Florida Avenue, in Villas, Cape May County.

On May 17, 2013, a joint investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Hamilton Township Police Department, and the New Jersey State Police, culminated in the execution of two search warrants at the Ventnor and Cape May County homes. Assisting with the searches were the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Ventnor City and Lower Township Police Departments.

Inside the Ventnor residence the team found human remains inside a closet, which were positively identified as Daniel Burroughs.

Loretta Burroughs was arrested at the Cape May County residence and charged with murder for the fatal stabbing of her husband.

Burroughs remains lodged at the Atlantic County Justice Facility in lieu of $2 million bail.

***The indictment is merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, an indicted defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page. People can also call Crime Stoppers at 609-652- 1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.