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, 13 November 1979:
FEAR – Lykens residents living with it
By DALLAS DELUZIO
LYKENS – “People are scared,” says Lykens Police Chief Clair Dunkelberger.
Since the murder of Elsie Mae Schoffstall, a 62-year-old widow who lived with her bedridden mother, on 31 October, residents in this community have been taking extra security precautions – such as staying close to their guns while in their homes.
“Nearly every other house has a hunter,” says Lykens Mayor Miles Kott, also president of the Lykens Senior Citizens.
Mrs. Schoffstall was found dead on her living room floor after being suffocated and sexually assaulted about midnight October 31, according to the Dauphin County coroner.
Kott said that persons attending the senior citizens’ meetings don’t talk about the murder, perhaps because there isn’t anything to say; but he said the town has a large proportion of widows and they are more afraid than women who have not lost their husbands.
Investigation intensifies
Corporal Max Seiler of the State Police Lykens substation said six more troopers from Troop I, Reading have joined the 15 state troopers from Harrisburg, Lykens, Frackville and Pottsville in a “very intensive” investigation.
So far, Seiler said, no motive has been determined, no suspects located, and no clues the state police are willing to discuss have been uncovered.
Seiler said that because of the “fear gripping the area,” state police are checking all information including rumors, “no matter how trivial.”
He said the investigation is now covering Dauphin, Schuylkill, Lebanon and Lancaster Counties, where tips and information have taken the investigators.
Lykens borough police have been getting “a lot more calls than usual,” according to Dunkelberger, about prowlers and harassment phone calls. They’ve been working closely with state police as a liaison between out-of-the-area state police and tow residents, he added.
Dunkelberger said he has noticed on his patrols that residents are leaving their lights on at night.
Too little, too late?
Mrs. Schoffstall’s home at 768 E. Main Street sits with its back door toward an unlighted yard leading to an unlighted alley and unlighted cemeteries and a dark mountainside behind the,
On Monday, Lykens council voted to add a street light at South Second Street behind Our Lady Help of Christian Church, 732 E. Main Street, a few blocks from Mrs. Schoffstall’s home.
But, additional lighting or not, Dunkelberger said that older adults are not staying out as late as they used to.
“Don’t knock on any doors of any unmarried or elderly women after 9 p.m.,” warned one resident to any would-be attackers.
Councilman George Miller, at the council meeting, proposed that citizens’ patrols be organized to walk the streets and alleys, unarmed.
Councilwoman Dorothy McElwain suggested that the senior citizens change their nightly meetings to day time but Kott said no plans have been made to do so
However, Kott said the local radio station here has been asked to broadcast warnings for older town residents telling them to secure their houses.
And, added Kott, a community service organization from Elizabethville will be talking to various organizations in Lykens about possible security measures they can take.
For the time being, however, a locked door and a handy gun seem to be the answer to many residents’ fears.
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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.