Neglected Yard Warned Neighbor Before Tragic Death

A neighbor described a startling shift just weeks before tragedy struck. David Grodnick, a senior vice president for Land Services USA, once took immense pride in his grounds. His $1.7 million estate in Montgomery Township was always immaculate. He and his wife, Lora, 62, would spend hours keeping the grass cut and trees trimmed. They even splurged on new landscaping to keep up appearances. Now the lawn looked wild and unkept.

Mian Helaly, 73, watched this happen with growing worry. The man noted that for months the family stopped caring about their yard. 'I thought the house was number one in the [neighborhood for] maintaining their lawn,' Helaly said to The New York Post. He felt disturbed by the sudden neglect. 'All of a sudden, I noticed that in recent months they were not focusing on the lawn. The grass was ground out. They were not trimming the trees.' To him, this signaled something was deeply wrong inside the home.

The situation ended violently and quickly. Officers received a call to check on the Grodnicks last Thursday but could not reach them. Police entered the property on Friday. Inside they found three bodies with gunshot wounds. David, 61, lay with a self-inflicted wound to his head. His wife Lora and their daughter Sloane, 24, were discovered in separate bedrooms. The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office confirmed these facts Tuesday. They ruled the deaths of the two women as homicides while labeling David's death a suicide.

Helaly called the event 'very, very shocking.' He admitted he could never have imagined such a horror happening on his quiet street. Sloane had attended The Hun School in Princeton before going to Savannah College of Art and Design. Her parents moved from Princeton to Montgomery Township where they joined Bedens Brook Country Club. David earned a degree in business administration from the University of Miami and also held a BA in English from McDaniel College.

The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities stated there are no threats to the public from this isolated incident. No further details will be released at this time. If you or someone you know is struggling, please call or text 988 for the confidential Suicide & Crisis Lifeline anytime. You can also chat online at 988lifeline.org.