At the end of March 1977, Mrs. Jennie E. Barr, an elderly widow, was found dead in her den in her home in Tremont, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The cause of death was strangulation and she was also sexually assaulted. Investigators ruled the death a homicide.
This murder was the first of four that occurred in the Lykens Valley area in a less than three-year period between 1977 and 1979 – all of elderly widows.
The story of the discovery of the body through the revelation of the autopsy results, investigation and settlement of her estate is told through 12 brief stories that appeared in area newspapers.
Although a suspect was charged and brought to trial in 1981, he was quickly acquitted. As with the other three murders, this homicide remains unsolved.
Note: The 1981 trial will be featured in another series of posts.
From the Lebanon Daily News, 2 April 1977
Woman, 76. Is Found Murdered
A 76-year old Tremont woman was found dead in her home Thursday night, the victim of strangulation and a sexual attack, state police reported yesterday.
Jennie E. Barr, 20 N. Crescent St., was found dead after neighbors entered the home, fearing something was amiss.
An autopsy Friday morning at Pottsville Hospital, showed that the woman had been sexually attacked and strangled. Because no weapon was found, police believe that the woman was strangled manually.
The autopsy indicated that the woman was killed late Wednesday or early Thursday morning. Investigators said since there was no forced entry to the home, the woman may have known her attacker.
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For all other parts of this story, see: Who Killed Jennie E. Barr?
News clipping/article from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.