The man — previously identified as 53-year-old Peter Lestisian — was a person of interest in the homicide of Sheila Maguire, according to a news release Saturday from the Burlington County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said Lestician, a South Brunswick High School teacher and Hightstown softball coach, was believed to be the last person to see Maguire, though authorities noted there was no evidence directly linking him to the crime and no charges had been filed. categories. against him. The body of Maguire, a popular children’s advocate, was found Monday at the home they shared in Florence. Lestician coached at South Brunswick for more than 25 years and was named the 2019 NJ.com Softball Coach of the Year during his second season at Hightstown. Authorities said he had not been in contact with family members since Aug. 26, and his body was discovered Friday night in Cooper Township, Pennsylvania, about 150 miles northwest of Florence. A file photo of Peter Lestician, who has been named a person of interest in the death of his girlfriend, Sheila Maguire, in Burlington County. Lestician, a well-known Hightstown softball coach, was found dead in an apparent suicide on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, authorities said. (Larry Murphy | For The Times of Trenton) Two men on four-wheelers found the body in a vehicle next to an abandoned barn. The body was in the front seat of the vehicle and the doors were locked, police said. The men reported the body to police, who later identified it as Lestician, officials said. Lestician’s driver’s license was in the vehicle and officers reported no signs of foul play, according to police. Officials said an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of death. According to police, Lestician was the last known person to see Maguire alive. Maguire, 54, was found dead in her home on Birch Hollow Drive late Monday afternoon. Friends described Maguire, who worked as an advocate for abused children, as a fun-loving, positive and upbeat mother of two who had a passion for helping others. Sheila Maguire, of Florence, in a photo obtained by GoFundMe. Burlington County Coroner Ian Hood determined Maguire died of blunt force trauma to the head. The investigation, which is being conducted by Florence police, the Burlington County District Attorney’s Office and Pennsylvania State Police, will continue, officials said. Our journalism needs your support. Sign up today at NJ.com. Camille Furst can be reached at [email protected]. Find her on Twitter @Camille Furst.
