ShyGuyInChicago
September 15th, 2010, 03:05 PM
REEDERS, MONROE COUNTY -- The former pastor of a Pocono church has been arrested by state police on murder charges.
Police say 62-year-old Arthur Schirmer killed his wife, Betty Jean, but tried to make it look like an accident. It happened while Schirmer was pastor of Reeders United Methodist Church.
Investigators say Schirmer was involved in a crash with his wife in July, 2008. The pastor claimed he swerved to hit a deer on Route 715 in Pocono Township when he slammed into a guiderail at 50 MPH. His wife died the following day and it was ruled an accident.
However in November 2008 the case was reopened following a man committing suicide at Schirmer's church. That suicide investigation revealed a relationship that Schirmer had with the man's wife.
Police later discovered that the July crash happened at only about 20 MPH and that Betty Jean could not have died from injuries suffered in the crash. Blood was found in the church parsonage which revealed that Betty Jean had been injured prior to the crash. Schirmer is now charged with her murder.
Eyewitness News has also learned that police in Lebanon County, PA are looking into the death of a previous wife of Schirmer's. She died following a fall down the stairs in 1999. That death was also ruled an accident. It happened when Schirmer was pastor at Bethany United Methodist Church in Bethany, Lebanon County.
Schirmer has also served as pastor at United Methodist Middle Creek Church in Weissport and Marietta Bainbridge United Methodist Church in Marietta.
http://pahomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=153905
Police say 62-year-old Arthur Schirmer killed his wife, Betty Jean, but tried to make it look like an accident. It happened while Schirmer was pastor of Reeders United Methodist Church.
Investigators say Schirmer was involved in a crash with his wife in July, 2008. The pastor claimed he swerved to hit a deer on Route 715 in Pocono Township when he slammed into a guiderail at 50 MPH. His wife died the following day and it was ruled an accident.
However in November 2008 the case was reopened following a man committing suicide at Schirmer's church. That suicide investigation revealed a relationship that Schirmer had with the man's wife.
Police later discovered that the July crash happened at only about 20 MPH and that Betty Jean could not have died from injuries suffered in the crash. Blood was found in the church parsonage which revealed that Betty Jean had been injured prior to the crash. Schirmer is now charged with her murder.
Eyewitness News has also learned that police in Lebanon County, PA are looking into the death of a previous wife of Schirmer's. She died following a fall down the stairs in 1999. That death was also ruled an accident. It happened when Schirmer was pastor at Bethany United Methodist Church in Bethany, Lebanon County.
Schirmer has also served as pastor at United Methodist Middle Creek Church in Weissport and Marietta Bainbridge United Methodist Church in Marietta.
http://pahomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=153905