Washington Township Murder (Gloucester County NJ)
Press Release from GCPO
On Saturday, August 6th at approximately 9:57 p.m., officers from the Washington Township
Police Department (WTPD) were dispatched to an apartment on Woodmont Circle, Sewell,
for a dispute.
As a result of the initial investigation, officers charged 65-year-old Loretta Barr with
assault. The victim, identified as 80-year-old Florence Dicriscio (Barr’s mother), was initially transported
to Jefferson Hospital in Washington Township for her injuries. On August 9, 2022, the victim was
pronounced deceased in Philadelphia, where she had been transferred for advanced care due to her
injuries. Upon Dicriscio’s death, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office partnered with the
Washington Township Police Department to continue the investigation.
An autopsy conducted on August 10, by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office ruled
the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the body/head and the manner of death as homicide.
As the result of a collaborative investigation by the GCPO and WTPD, Loretta Barr was
subsequently charged with Manslaughter and Possession of a Weapon, and arrested in West Deptford
Township on August 10th. Barr was processed and then incarcerated at the Salem County Correctional
Facility pending further proceedings.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond
a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of their rights as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State Law. Anyone with additional information relevant to this investigation is encouraged to contact Detective Christopher Popper of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, at 856-384-5593, or Detective Jason Sims of the Washington Township Police Department, at 609-820-2829.