On 29 May 1982, Alice Elizabeth Hennecke, a resident of the Lykens Hotel, Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was found stabbed to death in her room. Another resident of the hotel, Esther Hartman, was charged with the murder and was held without bail pending trial in Dauphin County Court.
Stories from area newspaper are presented here, but no article was located to indicate any resolution of this crime, i.e., whether there was a conviction.
Blog readers are urged to provide updated information on this murder.
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From the Pottsville Republican, 1 June 1982:
Lykens woman, 93, is stabbed to death
LYKENS – An elderly Dauphin County woman was stabbed to death at a hotel here Saturday, and another woman who lived at the hotel was charged with the slaying.
Alice Elizabeth Hennecke, 93, who lived at the Lykens Hotel, Main Street, for approximately seven years, was found dead of multiple stab wounds at approximately 9 p.m., state police at Lykens said.
Esther Hartman, 41, who resided at the hotel for approximately one year, was arrested at 11:30 p.m. and charged with criminal homicide, said police.
Hartman, was ordered held without bail at Dauphin County Prison following an arraignment before District Magistrate Marlin Stromm, Harrisburg.
Police said no motive for the crime has been established.
Dauphin County Deputy Coroner Craig M. Waters examined the victim at the hotel.
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From the Pottsville Republican, 11 June 1982:
Woman faces murder trial
LYKENS – Esther June Hartman, 41, who listed an address of Lykens Hotel, has been ordered by District Judge Ed Williams, Elizabethville, to stand trial on a charge of murder in connection with the May 29 stabbing death of another hotel guest.
The charges stem from an incident at the hotel when Alice E. Hennecke, 83, died in a hotel room.
Hartman was arrested at the scene by state police from Lykens.
She was returned to Dauphin County Prison, without bail, following a hearing.
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From the Pottsville Republican, 8 June 1982:
Alice E. Hennecke
Alice E. Hennecke, 83, of Lykens Hotel, died there Saturday.
She attended Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Lykens.
She was preceded in death by her husband John Hennecke.
Surviving are two nieces.
Services were held this morning at Wiederman Funeral Home, Steelton. Interment was in Shoop’s Cemetery, near Harrisburg.
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From the Sunbury Daily Item, 10 June 1982:
Hotel tenant charged with murder
ELIZABETHVILLE – A tenant at the Lykens Hotel has been ordered to stand trial on a charge of murder in connection with the May 29 stabbing death of another hotel resident.
Esther June Hartman, 41, is charged with stabbing Alice E. Hennecke, 83, who lived next door to her at the hotel. An autopsy indicated the elderly woman was stabbed several times.
State police at Lykens said they are uncertain about what provoked the attack.
The Hartman woman is being held in the Dauphin County Prison without bail, a court spokesman said.
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News articles are from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.