On a Tuesday in September 2023, the quiet community of Clifton, New Jersey, was unsettled by a grim discovery. Authorities performing a welfare check at a residence on Third Street found the bodies of 73-year-old Zofia Koc and her 33-year-old son, Peter Koc. Both had suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Zofia, a Caucasian female, was a beloved mother and grandmother known for her devotion to her faith and family.
Investigators at the scene found no evidence of a forced entry into the home and assured the public that there was no ongoing danger to the community. While the official circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation by the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, authorities have stated that they are not actively seeking any suspects in connection with the incident.
Some reports suggest that investigators believe Peter Koc may have fired the shots that killed both himself and his mother, though a final determination is pending further investigation.
Born in Frydman, Poland, Zofia Koc immigrated to the United States in 1986, eventually settling in Clifton. She was a dedicated parishioner at Holy Rosary R.C. Church in Passaic, where she was an active volunteer and a member of the rosary society. Known for her passion for cooking and baking, she was the head cook for a walking pilgrimage to the Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She was predeceased by her husband, Antoni Koc, and was a cherished mother to another son and a grandmother to four grandchildren.
