Elsie Mae Schoffstall, a 62-year-old-widow living with her bed-ridden mother in Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was found dead on her living room floor on the morning of 1 November 1979. The police investigation and autopsy concluded that she had a head wound and multiple scull fractures – and had been strangled and sexually assaulted. There was no evidence of robbery.
This was the fourth such murder in the Lykens Valley area in a three-year period, the first occurring in early April 1977 in Tremont, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. In the four investigations, a similar pattern emerged: (1) All four victims were elderly widows. (2) All four victims were beaten about the head and strangled. (3) All four victims were found naked or partially naked and sexually assaulted. (4) Robbery or burglary was not found to be a motive. (5) In two of the four crimes, an alleged perpetrator was arrested and brought to trial – but acquitted. (6) None of the crimes were solved.
This post is one of 9 chronicling the discovery of the Mrs. Schoffstall’s body and the police investigation. The story is told through articles that appeared in a Pottsville newspaper.
From the Pottsville Republican, 5 November 1979:
Murder baffling
HARRISBURG – State police here and in Lykens are still searching for a motive and suspects in the murder of Elsie Mae Schoffstall, a 62-year old widow from Lykens, who was suffocated to death sometime early last Thursday morning.
Lt. Herman Faiola, head of criminal investigations for State Police Troop H here, said this morning that no motive “whatsoever” has been determined but an intensive investigation is continuing by state police and Dauphin County district attorney’s office.
Faiola said, however, that there could have been a struggle between Mrs. Schoffstall and her assailant and the assailant could have scratches on his face, arms of other parts of the body.
Faiola said that anyone with information about the murder, or the assailant, is asked to call any state police substation or Lykens police.
All information will be held in strictest confidence, he said.
Mrs. Schoffstall was found dead on the living room floor of her home at 768 E. Main Street, Lykens, Thursday morning by her brother, Arthur Deiter.
An autopsy report said death occurred due to suffocation, multiple head trauma and sexual assault. Faiola said death occurred about midnight Thursday.
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For all other parts of this story, see: Who Killed Elsie Mae Schoffstall?
News clipping/article from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.