The front page headline from the Carlisle Sentinel, February 7, 2008, declaring that Rochelle Laudenslager was sentenced to 30 to 60 years following her plea of “no contest” to the brutal slaying of Elaine Pierson.
In early January, 2007, the community of Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was rocked by the arrest of Rochelle Laudenslager, who was raised there and had graduated from Upper Dauphin Area High School in the 1970s. She was charged with the first-degree murder of Elaine Pierson, whose body was found in a ditch in Perry County. The murder weapon was found hidden in the attic of Laudenslager’s mother’s house in Gratz. Prosecutors sought the death penalty because evidence showed that Pierson was subjected to torture in the process of being killed by Laudenslager. The story that came out over time was that Laudenslager and Pierson were former lovers and that Laudenslager was trying to get back together with Pierson, but Pierson was already in a relationship with another woman.
In a nine-part series of blog posts, the story of the murder, the investigation, the charges, and the eventual sentencing is told as it appeared in the pages of the Carlisle Sentinel. Because of the pain caused to Pierson’s many friends and neighbors as well as the recency of the crime, their names have been omitted from the story.
At the present time, Rochelle Laudenslager has served about half of the minimum of her 30 to 60 year sentence in state prison.
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Part 8 – A Surprise Court Appearance, a Plea Deal and Sentencing
From the Carlisle Sentinel, February 6, 2008:
LAUDENSLAGER TO APPEAR IN COURT TODAY
Her trial on first-degree murder and other charges is set to begin in March with a jury from Berks County
By Heather Stauffer, Sentinel Reporter.
Perry County District Attorney Charles “Chad” Chenot says Rochelle Laudenslager was to appear in court at 10 a. m. today, but he would not say why.
Laudenslager, 45, of Lower Paxton Township, is accused in the death of Elaine Pierson, in December 2006. Her trial on first-degree murder and other charges was set to begin with an out-of-county jury on March 24.
Chenot, who said he would seek the death penalty for Laudenslager, would not comment on the nature of the appearance but noted that both prosecuting and defense attorneys would be present and that the press are public are invited to attend.
The deadline for filing motions in the case passed in January.
Laudenslager’s lawyer, George Matangos, did not return The Sentinel’s calls.
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From the Carlisle Sentinel, February 7, 2008
LAUDENSLAGER TO GET 30 – 60 YEARS
She pleads no contest on charges in the killing of a Perry County resident.
By Heather Stauffer, Sentinel Reporter
Wearing a red turtleneck, black pants suit and small cross pendant, Rochelle Laudenslager stood before Perry County Judge Kathy Morrow for nearly 15 minutes Wednesday answering questions about her mental state in a clear calm voice.
“As a practical matter, your appeal rights aren’t going to do you any good after a no-contest plea,” Morrow cautioned, querying the 46-year-old Dauphin County resident about her mental status and asking repeatedly if she was sure she wanted to proceed.
“I do, your honor,” Laudenslager said.
Satisfied, Morrow accepted the Dauphin County resident’s no-contest pleas to two first-class felonies: Third-degree murder for the December 2006 death of 48-year old Perry County resident Elaine Pierson and aggravated assault for lunging toward a state trooper with a kitchen knife when she was arrested on February 15, 2007.
Per the agreement, prosecutors are dropping the other charges against Laudenslager, which included kidnapping and burglary, and are recommending that she be sentenced to 20 to 40 years in state prison and a consecutive 10 to 20 years on the assault charge.
Laudenslager will be sentenced March 4 at 1:30 p. m.
“I still believe, and police believe, that this was premeditated,” said Perry County District Attorney Charles “Chad” Chenot afterwards. But, he said, investigators had not been able to establish a motive.
“It could have been a failed suicide attempt, it could have been a result of Miss Pierson’s reluctance to post bail for her earlier that year,” Chenot said. “There’s all kinds of things it could have been.”
Background
Police said Pierson, who had been Laudenslager’s lover from 1998 to 2002,, was on the phone with a friend when she was interrupted by someone at the door on December 27, 2006. She was reported missing two days later.
Laudenslager was part of the group that found Pierson’s body during a third search on January 6, 2007, and someone matching Laudenslager’s description was seen standing near the area before Pierson was found, police said.
Pierson had been shot four times, officials said, and her blood was later discovered in the barrel of a commemorative revolver Laudenslager’s mother said she saw Laudenslager bring to the house i[in Gratz] in a plastic bag the night of December 27, 2006, and put in the attic.
Negotiated Plea
Asked why he agreed to the plea deal after indicating that he would seek the death penalty if a jury found Laudenslager guilty of first-degree murder, Chenot said weaknesses in the case — primarily Laudenslager’s mental health — and the fact that Laudenslager will likely spend the rest of her life in jail had a lot to do with making the deal acceptable to him and to Pierson’s family.
Laudenslager’s attorney, George Matangos, also stressed Laudenslager’s mental health, telling the judge that his client had undergone treatment both before and during her incarceration. Both he and Laudenslager told Morrow that a new medicine regimen had made “significant” improvements in her over the past few weeks.
Although he said he never intended to use an insanity argument, Matangos noted mental health can be a mitigating factor that makes it difficult to prove first-degree murder. Before the medication change, he said, Laudenslager was sometimes so distraught that she could not speak during his conferences with her.
“This is very unusual,” Matqahgos said of the plea, expressing gratitude to Chenot and other members of the prosecution for allowing the plea, which will keep both Laudenslager and others from “the horrible necessity” of going through a trial.
Accepting Responsibility
“Rochelle completely, fully, accepts responsibility,” Matangos said, noting that by entering the plea Laudenslager essentially agreed that Commonwealth had a compelling case against her.
Asked if Laudenslager remembered what happened that night, Maragos said yes, but with gaps. She did not remember pulling the trigger, he said, not elaborating further.
Chenot said he would have preferred a guilty plea but that in terms of legal consequences, the two are pretty much the same. The one difference, he said, is that if Pierson’s family ever filed a civil case against Laudenslager, having a guilty plea on her record could make it harder for Laudenslager to win the case.
Still No Answers
“She (Pierson) was just truly a wonderful person,” said [a friend], who said she had been friends with both Pierson and Laudenslager and had known Pierson for about 20 years. She said many of the 50 or so people who gathered to witness the plea were friend of one or both women. She thinks that most of them, like her, are still trying to process everything.
‘I think people were looking forward to answers but not to the trial,” Ingram said, explaining that it seemed every time some answers surfaced, they were followed by more questions. “No matter what happens today, it’s not going to bring Elaine back.”
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From the Carlisle Sentinel, February 7, 2008 (Wire Service Story)
WOMAN TO GET 30-60 YEARS IN DEATH OF LOVER, ATTACK ON TROOPER
NEW BLOOMFIELD — Under a plea agreement with perry County prosecutors, a woman is to get a total of 30 to 60 years in prison for the murder of her ex-lover and an attack on a state trooper.
Rochelle Laudenslager pleaded no contest Wednesday to third-degree murder in the shooting death of Elaine Pierson. The 45-year-old Lower Paxton Township woman also pleaded no contest to aggravated assault in the attach on the trooper.
Laudenslager told police last year she had a four-year sexual relationship with Pierson that ended in 2002. She told police she had wanted to revive the relationship but couldn’t because Pierson was involved with another woman.
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From the Carlisle Sentinel, March 5, 2008:
LAUDENSLAGER: I’M GRIEVING, TOO
By Heather Stauffer, Sentinel Reporter
For almost an hour Tuesday, Rochelle Laudenslager sat motionless, watching intently as six women testified about how Elaine Pierson‘s murder affected them.
Then Laudenslager stood up and turned around, facing the dozens of people who had come to witness her sentencing before Perry County Judge Kathy Morrow. Handcuffed and in red prison garb, the 46-year-old Lower Paxton Township resident fumbled to take off her glasses and hold a pad of paper, then began reading.
“I apologize for causing the loss of your loved one, Elaine,” she said, taking the opportunity every defendant is offered to address the court before being sentenced.
Sentencing
Two things happen before a judge hands down a sentence: victims or those associated with them are given the chance to give a victim impact statement, explaining what effect the crime had on them, and the defendant is given the chanced to address the court.
After both were done Tuesday, Laudenslager was sentenced to the 30 to 60 years in state prison agreed upon in her plea bargain last month.
Admitting that her personal actions caused Pierson’s death. Laudenslager said she did not intend to harm Pierson in any way.
“I too, am grieving for my very dear friend,” Laudenslager said of the woman authorities said was her lover from 1998 to 2002.
What Happened
Friends reported Pierson missing on December 29, 2006, and found her body January 6, 2007, in a wooded area about three miles from her Rye Township home. Authorities said Pierson, 28, was shot four times the evening of December 27 after being taken from her home on Trout Lane.
Police have said a commemorative revolver belonging to Laudenslager’s mother was used in Pierson’s slaying and that a tearful Laudenslager returned it to her mother’s [Gratz] Dauphin County home during the night December 27. She wrapped it in a plastic bag, put it in a box, and hid it under insulation in the attic.
Blood from inside the revolver’s barrel matched Pierson’s DNA, police determined.
Facing the possibility of the death penalty in a trial scheduled for this month, Laudenslager accepted a plea bargain for a total of 30 to 60 years in state prison.
A month ago she entered a no-contest plea to third-degree murder in Pierson’s death and aggravated assault for lunging toward a state trooper with a kitchen knife when she was arrested.
Mental Health issues
Briefly recounting the latter part of 2006, in which she was institutionalized several times, Laudenslager said she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder but had been taken off her medications after returning from a failed visit to her sister in Nevada.
Noting that the lack of medication undoubtedly played a role in what happened, Laudenslager said she would not use it as an excuse for her actions.
On the night in question, Laudenslager said, she and Pierson went to Dairy Queen and had a good conversation. As they were driving back, she said, something happened and she remembers nothing after the vehicle coming to a complete stop.
“I never should have taken the gun,” Laudenslager said, explaining that she had previously put it in the vehicle when struggling with thoughts of depression.
“I have sought forgiveness from my Lord and Savior, and I hope that some of you will forgive me,” she said.
Friends Speak
“No person has the right to cause so much pain to so many people,” said [Friend No. 1], who said she had known Pierson and Laudenslager. The first to speak during the victim impact statement period. [She] said she was there to bear witness to the fear and grief that wracked Pierson’s circle of friends after her murder.
“So much pain, so much heartache, and for what end?” she asked.
Another statement came from [Friend No. 2], who also said she knew both women. She started by describing Pierson as “one of those people who is liked by everyone” and said Pierson had persuaded her to go golfing in 2005.
“I thank God I played that day because it was the last time I saw her,” [she] said. “Elaine, I am so sorry.”
Then [she] addressed Laudenslager directly, recalling the days when they lived near each other and visited frequently. In November 2006, Laudenslager reached out to her again, [she] said, and she described how they spent hours talking as Laudenslager shared the struggle she was facing.
On December 27, 2006, she said, Laudenslager told her things were worse than they had ever been. She tried several times later that evening to check in with her, [she] said, but Laudenslager never picked up her telephone.
“I cringe every day to think what was happening at that time,” [she] said, but Laudenslager never picked up her telephone. “When I heard Elaine was murdered, my very first thought was, “I hope Rochelle had nothing to do with it.”
[She] said she still struggles with the trauma and that she was there Tuesday to face her fears.
“Rochelle, I will pray that get the help you need,” she said.
Living Hell
Next was [Friend No. 3], who said her life has been “a living hell” since Pierson’s murder, culminating in her spending five months in treatment.
“I really don’t see how this is going to get any better,” she said.
Sobbing as she read, [she] spoke of the great loss she felt without Pierson and said, “I would do anything to have one more day.”
[She] chastised Laudenslager for the “cowardly” no-contest plea.
And, she said she’d be forever haunted by what Laudenslager did to her on the day that Pierson’s body was found, whispering “You want to stay…. You want to stay…” in her ear as her other friends tried to get her to leave.
“Rochelle, you chose to end Elaine’s beautiful, beautiful life,” [she] said. “I hope that you are forever haunted by those last moments of Elaine’s life. You will have to answer to God one day.”
But, [she] said, “I know that Elaine’s wish for all of us who loved her is that we remember everything about her life except those last moments.”
[She] also asked that Morrow order Laudenslager to pay for the months she spent in treatment. That request was seconded by [her] sister, [Friend No. 4], who said she was acknowledging the relationship between [her sister] and Pierson.
The only thing that kept them from moving in together was [Friend No. 3]’s fear that learning of her lifestyle would damage her parents, [Friend No. 4] said. She added that since Pierson’s murder, her parents have discovered her lifestyle and still love and accept her.
After handing down the sentence, Morrow said she was leaving the issue of restitution open for 30 days to allow both parties time to respond.
Still No Answers
“You keep waiting for all the answers to be given, and you realize you’re not going to get them all,” said [Friend No. 5], who knew both women.
Speaking after the sentencing, [Friend No. 5] said she appreciated what explanation Laudenslager did give but had a hard time believing that Laudenslager really did not remember what happened.
Throughout the sentencing, several people said they felt Pierson’s presence in the courtroom. But [Friend No. 5] disagreed. “She’s back in the woods, back where she loved to be,” [she] said.
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From the Carlisle Sentinel, March 21, 2008:
[FRIEND] MAY NOT HAVE LEGAL STANDING
By Heather Stauffer, Sentinel Reporter
Attempt to have costly treatment covered by Laudenslager is an “uphill battle,” district attorney says
[Friend No. 3] may have a hard time getting the restitution she is seeking from Rochelle Laudenslager, according to Perry County District Attorney Charles “Chad” Chenot.
“It’s an uphill battle, because she’s obviously not a spouse, she’s not an immediate family member,” Chenot said, explaining that the issue will be whether [she] has the legal standing to make the request.
On March 4, Laudenslager was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in state prison for charges associated with the December 2006 murder of Elaine Pierson.
Police have said Laudenslager was Pierson’s lover from 1998 to 2002. However, at the sentencing, [Friend No. 3]’s sister acknowledged [she] and Pierson’s relationship. The only thing that kept them from moving in together was [the] fear that learning of her lifestyle would damage [Friend No. 3]’s parents, she said.
Both [Friend No. 3] and her sister asked Judge Kathy Morrow to authorize restitution that would cover the cost of $900-a-day treatment facility where a distraught [Friend No. 3] spent five months after Pierson’s death.
“I believe that decision saved my life,” [Friend No. 3] told Morrow, explaining that she lost more than 20 pounds in three weeks and was so down that her family intervened and recommended treatment. It worked, she said, but each day is still hard, and now she faces the “overwhelming” burden of those bills not covered by her insurance.
Chenot noted at the sentencing that [Friend No. 3]’s request came in at the last minute, and Morrow gave both Chenot and Laudenslager’s attorney George Matangos, 30 days to present their arguments on the matter.
“She’s basically in the same spot that a boyfriend and girlfriend would be in, if they were dating when one of them died,” Chenot said.
The same issue of legal standing would likely arise in a civil suit, he said. [Friend No. 3]’s best chance of getting the money may be if Pierson’s family would file a law suit on her behalf, Chenot said.
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News articles and photo obtained through Newspapers.com.
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