Ex-coach of the year found dead in potential suicide; was person of interest in girlfriends death, police say

A well-known softball coach was found dead Friday in an apparent suicide, days after his girlfriend was discovered killed in their Burlington County home, authorities announced.

The man preliminarily identified as 53-year-old Peter Lestician was a person of interest in the homicide of Sheila Maguire, according to a news release Saturday from the Burlington County Prosecutors Office.

Prosecutors said Lestician, a teacher at South Brunswick High School and a softball coach in Hightstown, was believed to have been the last person to have seen Maguire, though authorities noted there was no evidence directly linking him to the crime and no charges had been filed against him.

The body of Maguire, a popular child advocate, was found Monday in the home they shared in Florence.

Lestician taught in South Brunswick for more than 25 years, and was named NJ.coms softball Coach of the Year in 2019 during his second season at Hightstown. Authorities said he had not made contact with family members since Aug. 26, and his body was discovered Friday evening in Cooper Township, Pennsylvania, about 150 miles northwest of Florence.

A file photo of Peter Lestician, who was named a person of interest in the Burlington County death of his girlfriend, Sheila Maguire. Lestician, a well-known Hightstown softball coach, was found death in an apparent suicide on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, authorities said.(Larry Murphy | For The Times of Trenton)

Two men riding four-wheelers found the body in a vehicle by 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 him as Lestician, officials said. Lesticians drivers license was in the vehicle, and the officers reported no signs of foul play, according to police.

Officials said an autopsy will be performed to identify the cause and manner of death.

According to police, Lestician was the last known person who saw 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, positive and uplifting mother of two who was passionate about helping others.

Sheila Maguire, of Florence, in a photo provided by GoFundMe.

Burlington County Medical Examiner Ian Hood determined Maguire died from blunt force trauma to the head.

The investigation, conducted by Florence police, the Burlington County Prosecutors Office and the Pennsylvania State Police, will continue, officials said.

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Camille Furst may be reached at cfurst@njadvancemedia.com. Find her on Twitter @CamilleFurst.