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, 3 November 1979:
Obituary of Elsie M. Schoffstall
Mrs. Elsie Mae Schoffstall, 61, of 768 East Main St., Lykens, was found dead at her home Thursday morning State police Thursday listed her death as suspicious.
Mrs. Schoffstall, the daughter of Daisy [Hoffman] Paulus of Lykens and the late Ruben Deiter, was born in Powells Valley. She was a member of the First Baptist Church, Lykens and a past president and treasurer of the Lykens Little Tiger Association.
Surviving in addition to her mother, are four daughters, Mrs. Helen Gonder of Berrysburg, Mrs. Alice Sweigard of Harrisburg, Mrs. Joyce Durham of Duncannon and Mrs. Linda Crabb of Lykens; two sons, Marlin E. Schoffstall of Lykens, and David Schoffstall of Halifax; 15 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; one sister Mrs. Susan Bohner of Lykens; seven brothers, Arthur Dietrich and Gordon Dietrich of Lykens; Harvey Dietrich of Mechanicsburg; William Dietrich of Coudersport; Lawrence Dietrich of Long Island, New York, Donald Dietrich of Lebanon and Woodrow Dietrich of Carsonville.
Services will be held Tuesday morning from the John M. Shultz Funeral Home, Lykens, with the Rev. Hubert L. Buikley officiating. Burial will be in the Calvary United Methodist Cemetery, Wiconisco.
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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.