November 11, 2013Sunbury, PennsylvaniaTroy LaFerrara is strangled and stabbed to death by newlyweds Elytte and Miranda Barbour Miranda (18) and LaFerrara met on Craigslist after Miranda posted an ad for escort services. The two met in Miranda’s car; unbeknownst to LaFerrara, Elytte (22) was hiding in the backseat awaiting the code phrase “Did you see…
Man arrested, cannot be fingerprinted as fingertips are devoid of ridges
October 31, 1941Austin, TexasRobert Pitts is arrested, though police attempting to fingerprint him are puzzled when his fingertips are devoid of ridges Pitts was arrested during a wide scale round-up of suspected draft dodgers. Technicians were confused by the smooth smudges left in place of typical fingerprints. Pitts simply explained, “My fingers got burned in…
The first of 20 people die from the Donora Smog
October 30, 1948Donora, PennsylvaniaThe first of 20 victims of the Donora smog dies An ominous thick, yellow cloud descended on the town of Donora on October 27, 1948. The mist was comprised of a lethal mixture of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and metal dust from the nearby zinc plant and steel mill, and was trapped…
Woman kills neighbor with axe
March 23, 2003 Lock Haven, Pennsylvania 23-year-old Shonda Walter kills her 83-year-old neighbor James Sementelli by hitting him over 60 times with a hatchet Walter had amassed a sizable debt from student loans and court processing fees, and was reportedly afraid she would be sent to jail if she did not pay the court costs.…
Severed, embalmed head of woman, with rubber balls in place of eyes, found by teen
December 12, 2014 Economy, Pennsylvania The severed, embalmed head of an unidentified woman is found by a teenager The victim is approximated to have been around 50 years old at the time of her death; a toxicology report determined she had been taking heart medication for some time leading to her death, suggesting she died…
