Town file
Garfield, New Jersey
Garfield, New Jersey (Bergen County, New Jersey) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 619, "Brutal Murder, Stupid Murderer" (7 August 2025). Sandra Terranova was born in about 1976, grew up in the Paramus area of Bergen County, New Jersey, and graduated from Paramus High School in 1993.
- Town
- Garfield
- County
- Bergen County
- State
- New Jersey
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 619
- Approximate location
- 40.880, -74.108
Episode 619 / 7 August 2025 / 181 min / full
Brutal Murder, Stupid Murderer
"We are going to New Jersey this week and we're going to Garfield, New Jersey; this is in Bergen County" about 0:04:10
The case: Murder of Sandra Terranova (August 1997); Sexual assault of his girlfriend's daughters () (1981 to 1984, charges in 1988, trial in 1991). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2025
- Population
- 32,481
- Median age
- 38.3
- Median household income
- $66,296
- Median home value
- $433,600
- Two-bedroom rent
- $1,760
- Cost of living
- 141
- Religious
- 65%
- Property crime
- ▼ under the national average
- Violent crime
- ▼ one quarter under the national average
History, in brief
- The Lenape tribe were there first. about 0:05:59
- European settlement dates back to 1679. about 0:06:01
- The area that is now Garfield was developed in 1873 as seven homes, and was known as East Passaic. about 0:06:07
- In 1881 the town changed its name to Garfield in honour of President James Garfield, who was assassinated seven months later; the train station had been named for him and the name stuck. about 0:06:20
- The town motto is the city of champions, from Garfield High's national high school football championship in 1939, the Garfield Cadets drum and bugle corps and Tippi Larkin, world junior welterweight champion in 1946. about 0:07:31
- Garfield almost had a horse trolley in 1990, according to the town website. about 0:07:09
The reviews read out
3.1 stars
"Only 3.1 out of five, way lower than normal for a town."about 0:08:05
5 stars
"A wonderful, safe and quiet town with lots of parks, stores and restaurants, close to the major highways and Manhattan, ideal for commuters."about 0:08:12
3 stars
"Great for a quiet suburb to start a family in, but Garfield lacks fun, with not many restaurants or activities in the neighbourhood."about 0:08:46
1 star
"Known as Garbage Field, with rents through the roof, no parking, the worst schools and the good restaurants driven out by greedy landlords."about 0:09:29
1 star
"The town is turning into trash with the type of people moving in; Prescott Avenue used to be nice."about 0:10:17
1 star
"The streets are dangerous because gangs are on every corner."about 0:10:30
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Fair Lawn, New Jersey3.9 miles
- Demarest, New Jersey9.5 miles
- Ramsey, New Jersey13 miles
- Hanover Township, New Jersey17 miles
- Chatham Township, New Jersey17 miles
- Denville, New Jersey20 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.