In early July 1944, William A. Shaffer of Jackson Township, near Elizabethville, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was found in bed, murdered by a shotgun blast that tore off part of his head. The wife, Dorothy Shaffer blamed the son, William Shaffer Jr., and the son denied he had killed his father. Both were incarcerated pending the results of a lunacy panel that eventually determined that the wife was “insane with criminal tendencies.” She was committed to a State institution and the son was released.
The case made national headlines. Some of the related news stories are presented in this blog post.
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From the Lykens Standard, July 7, 1944:
JACKSON TOWNSHIP MAN FOUND DEAD FROM SHOTGUN WOUND
William A. Shaffer, 43, a stone quarry worker was found dead in bed by his wife at his home in Jackson Township early Tuesday. A shotgun charge had killed him instantly.
Mrs. Dorothy E. Shaffer, the wife, Wednesday accused her son, William Shaffer, 16, of murdering his father following a family argument over employment matters, according to Lt. Albert F. Dahlstrom, of the Harrisburg Barracks of the State Police. The boy denied his mother’s accusation.
Both Mrs. Shaffer and her son are being held following the death of her husband. Both Lt. Dahlstrom and Dauphin County Coroner Earl H. Grim stated that Shaffer was murdered by a 12-gauge gun fired at close range. Lieutenant Dahlstrom said Mrs. Shaffer accused her son during a two hour questioning conducted Wednesday afternoon in the office of District Attorney Carl B. Shelley.
Mrs. Shaffer’s other two children, Alan Shaffer, 17, and Betty May Shaffer, 14, were also at the examination. The three children were brought here by Corporal Charles Riggs of the Lykens State Police substation following Shaffer’s funeral services.
At the questioning, Mrs. Shaffer said she was in the back yard about 25 years from the house when she heard the shot fired shortly after 5 A. M., according to Lieutenant Dahlstrom. When going into the kitchen Mrs. Shaffer said she waw William put a shotgun into the corner of an adjoining room and proceed upstairs.
“Nobody but him could have done it,” Lieutenant Dahlstrom quoted Mrs. Shaffer as saying.
Denies Accusation
William denied the accusation and said he was asleep when the shot was fired, the Lieutenant said.
Betty May and Alan, who is employed by the Harrisburg Steel Corporation, also denied hearing the shot.
Shaffer’s body was discovered by his wife.
Dahlstrom reported that Mrs. Shaffer said Wednesday that William and his father had words on the porch about 11 P. M. on the eve of the slaying and that she said her husband wanted William to get a steady job rather than work at odd jobs on farms.
Said “Mentally Ill”
No decision was announced Wednesday on whether District Attorney Shelley would request that a commission be appointed to check the sanity of Mrs. Shaffer, who police say is believed to be mentally ill.
Shaffer, who moved to Jackson Township from Millersburg last Spring, is also survived by his mother, Mrs. William Shaffer, of Elizabethville; three sisters, Mrs. Shuman Fulsh and Miss Maude Shaffer, of Elizabethville, and Mrs. Chester Eyres of Gratz; two brothers, Albert Shaffer, of Elizabethville, and Monroe Shaffer, in the Army.
Funeral services were held on Wednesday afternoon at the Buffington Funeral Home, Elizabethville. The Rev. H. F. Keifer, pastor of the Elizabethville United Brethren Church officiated. Burial was in the Maple Grove Cemetery, Elizabethville.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, July 7, 1944:
MOTHER AND SON HELD WITHOUT BAIL ON MURDER CHARGE
Mrs. Dorothy E. Shaffer, and her son William Shaffer, 16, Elizabethville, were both held on a charge of murder in the death of the woman’s husband, William A. Shaffer, whose body was found July 4 [1944] with the top of his head blown off, Lt. A. F. Dahlstrom of the State Police said today.
The mother and son were held without bail in the dauphin County Jail after charges were filed before Alderman Joseph K. Armstrong, the lieutenant declared. No hearing date has been set.
Mrs. Shaffer and her son had appeared before District Attorney Carl B. Shelley for routine questioning, following Shaffer’s death, and Lt. Dahlstrom said the murder charges were made on the basis of conflicting stories they told at that time.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, August 19, 1944:
SANITY OF SUSPECT IN SLAYING STUDIED
A commission inquiring into the mental condition of Mrs. Dorothy Shaffer, near Elizabethville, met today in the Dauphin County Prison where she is held on suspicious pending investigation in connection with the alleged shotgun slaying of the woman’s husband, William A. Shaffer, found dead in bed last July 4.
Appointed by Judge J. Paul Rupp, Dauphin County Court, are these members of the commission: Rexford M. Glaspey, attorney; Dr. Donald B. Stouffer; and Dr. Charles William Smith.
In addition to hearing Mrs. Shaffer’s version of the shooting, the board heard twelve other witnesses, it was reported. The commission will study the testimony after it is transcribed and make a recommendation to the court.
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From the West Schuylkill Herald, September 22, 1944:
JACKSON TOWNSHIP WOMAN DECLARED INSANE
Judge Rupp in Dauphin County Court Tuesday approved the report of a commission that found Mrs. Dorothy Shaffer of Jackson Township, near Elizabethville, was insane with criminal tendencies.
Mrs. Shaffer has been confined to the Dauphin County Jail since July 4 following the death of her husband, William A. Shaffer, 43, a quarry worker, who was found dead in bed with a gunshot wound in the right temple.
Judge Rupp said Tuesday that Mrs. Shaffer will be committed to a State institution.
The lunacy commission reported the woman suffered hallucinations, claimed to be “hexed” and that she was insane with criminal tendencies.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, September 13, 1944:
MRS. SHAFFER ORDERED TO STATE HOSPITAL
The Dauphin County Court today changed the order committing Mrs. Dorothy Shaffer, Halifax R. D., Jackson Township, to the Harrisburg State Hospital as originally directed. District Attorney Carl B. Shelley and State Police today made arrangements to transfer the woman to the hospital from Dauphin County Prison, where she was held on a charge of shooting her husband, William Shaffer, 34, on July 1.
A son, William Shaffer Jr., 16, was released from custody today by Shelley. The boy had been held pending the report of the commission which found Mrs. Shaffer to be “criminally insane.”
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News articles from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.