A shocking murder case has unfolded in New Jersey, where a 21-year-old woman’s death—initially believed to be a drug overdose—was later revealed to be a cold-blooded killing orchestrated by her own sister and boyfriend.
Police initially thought Emily Cruddas had taken her own life in February 2023, following an earlier suicide attempt after a miscarriage. However, nearly two years later, investigators have arrested her sister, Sarah Errickson, 36, and boyfriend, Joseph Ragan, 22, charging them with murder and conspiracy after uncovering a sinister plot to kill Cruddas by injecting her with a lethal cocktail of heroin and fentanyl.
On February 16, 2023, New Jersey State Police responded to an overdose call on East Sunrise Road in Upper Township, where they found Cruddas unresponsive. She was declared dead at the scene, and authorities initially classified her death as suicide due to her past mental health struggles.
However, a month later, Ragan made a shocking confession to police, revealing that he and Errickson had deliberately drugged Cruddas while she was unconscious. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by WPVI (Philadelphia ABC affiliate), Ragan disclosed that after Cruddas was discharged from the hospital, Erickson gave her two capsules filled with crushed Xanax pills.
She then allegedly prepared a syringe containing 10 to 15 bags of heroin laced with fentanyl. When Cruddas became incapacitated, Errickson reportedly injected the drugs into her sister’s hand, telling her to “take your medicine”, while Ragan covered her mouth to prevent resistance.
Following Ragan’s confession, authorities reclassified Cruddas’ manner of death as “undetermined”, launching an in-depth investigation. In April, investigators received a breakthrough when a backpack containing 15 wax folds of heroin was handed over to authorities. Testing confirmed the heroin was from the same batch as the drugs found near Cruddas’ body.
A key witness later came forward, corroborating Ragan’s claims. The witness revealed that Errickson believed Cruddas was responsible for her losing custody of her children and had previously discussed ways to kill her sister—ultimately deciding that a drug overdose would be the most effective method.
With sufficient evidence, police issued an arrest warrant for murder. Errickson was arrested last month and is currently being held without bond at the Cape May County Jail.
Ragan was apprehended in Iowa on January 30 and is awaiting extradition to New Jersey to face charges. As the case unfolds, authorities continue to investigate the chilling details of a murder fueled by revenge and betrayal.