Jackson, Sherrie: 2001
Preliminary:
Sherrie Jackson was 20 years old at the time of her death. Sherrie had grown up in a sheltered family, then left home.
Sherrie was interested in becoming an emergency medical technician, and was a student in a class taught by Blair County Coroner Patricia Ross. Although shy at first, she was a motiviated student.
Sherrie’s body was found on May 7, 2001, in a wooded, remote area of the county. She had been struck on the head with a baseball bat at least three times; and her throat had been cut. The crime apparently took place in Clearfield county; after the murder, her killers moved her body to where it was found. It was burned.
Sherrie’s former roommates were interviewed by police and arrested. They were Marie L. Seilhamer of Ashville, 19 years old at the time, and Kristen M. Edmundson of Duncansville, who was 20.
According to reports, Edmundson had urged Seilhamer to drive a truck with Ms Jackson to a secluded pull-off area in Clearfield county, intending to kill the victim for “getting on her girlfriend.” They had a shovel, a baseball bat, a blade, and a blanket. Seilhamer even brought a change of clothes. Once there, they exited the vehicle. Seilhamer stated she struck Ms Jackson once with the bat but then became sick and returned to the truck, leaving Edmundson to complete the gruesome crime. Ms Jackson was struck at least twice more, and her throat was cut. Edmundson admitted slitting Ms Jackson’s throat, but claimed she did so only after Seilhamer beat the other girl with a wooden baseball bat. The two then loaded the body back into the truck and returned to Blair County.
The next day, Edmundson and Scott Alan Custer burned the body in an effort to destroy evidence.
Two more arrests were made a few days later. Amanda Speicher, age 20, and Scott Custer, 23; both of Boswell, PA. Speicher was charged with consipiracy to prevent apprehension; Custer was charged with abuse of corpse. He had helped Edmundson burn Ms Jackson’s body.
District Attorney Dave Gorman sought the death penalty was sought for the two roommates. Edmundson was represented by Terry Despoy; Seilhammer by Thomas Dickey. There were statements made by both attorneys that characterized their clients as sheltered women who were caught in events that spiraled out of control. DA Gorman disagreed, stating that, “You don’t hit someone three times and slit their throat in an assault that gets out of hand.”
Due to the sensational nature of the allegations regarding the victim and the killers’ relationships, it required a week to find a jury to hear the case.
Edmundson entered a guilty plea before Judge Jolene Kopriva to the charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit homicide. The abuse of a coprse charge was withdrawn. The plea was entered based on her understanding that the death penalty would not be applied. She had been scheduled for a jury trial in Venango County. Her attorney stated that his analysis of the case led him to believe that a jury trial would result in a conviction of first-degree murder, although perhaps not a death sentence. As part of the plea, Edmundson agreed to testify against Seilhamer.
Despite Seilhamer’s confession, during the her trial, Amanda Spiecher, told the court that Edmundson had called her on May 6, 2001. She said Edmundson told her that she had killed Ms Jackson with a shovel, but was remorseful and considering suicide.
Both Kristin Marie Edmundson and Marie Louise Seilhamer remain in the Muncy State Correctional Institution, in Muncy, PA. The close-security women’s prison near Williamsport houses all of Pennsylvania’s capital female inmates.
Amanda Brooke Speicher pled nolo contendere on June 4, 2003. She was sentenced to two months to a maximum of 23 months. She is no longer incarcerated. Also on June 4, 2003, Scott Custer pled guilty to hindering apprehension, abuse of a corpse, conspiracy to abuse a corpse; the charge of criminal consipriacy was nolle prossed. He was sentenced to one to two years in Somerset State Correctional Institution. He is not currently incarcerated.
Pennsylvania Superior Court Reports
COM. v. SEILHAMER, 2004 PA Super 443
No. 2299 WDA 2003.
Filed: November 23, 2004.
¶ 1 Appellant, Marie Louise Seilhamer, appeals from the judgment of sentence entered in the Blair County Court of Common Pleas, following her convictions for first-degree murder[fn1] and criminal conspiracy.[fn2] Appellant asks us to determine, inter alia, whether the trial court should have suppressed her incriminating pre-arraignment statements to the police, where the police arrested her but did not arraign her until more than twelve hours later. After examining the totality of the circumstances surrounding Appellant’s arrest and arraignment, we conclude Appellant voluntarily made her pre-arraignment statements. Accordingly, we affirm her judgment of sentence.
