LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A central Pennsylvania woman was charged Thursday after allegedly pushing her mother, causing her to fatally fall down a flight of stairs, according to the district attorney’s office.

The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office said an involuntary manslaughter and simple assault charge were filed against 34-year-old Elissa Waltman, of Lancaster.

Waltman and her mother, Eileen Flugrath, were arguing when Waltman allegedly pushed Flugrath into a wall. This caused Flugrath to fall down the stairs outside her home in the 100 block of Pickwick Place in Millersville Borough on April 5, the DA’s office said.

Flugrath was taken to the hospital after police arrived. Officers also found an indentation in the wall at the top of the stairs, which a witness said was not there before, according to the DA’s office.

After four days at the hospital, Flugrath died of head and neck injuries, and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the DA’s office.

Officials said Waltman first claimed Flugrath backed up and fell on her own, denying that she ever pushed her. But, officials say Waltman later allegedly admitted to pushing Flugrath.

The DA’s office noted there was a resident on the bottom floor who reported to police hearing a crash and then seeing Flugrath face down at the bottom of the stairs, while Waltman was at the top, cursing and right away claiming never to have touched Flugrath.

Court records show bail was denied for Waltman after she was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Joshua Keller. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 23.

Warning: The details of this story are graphic and could be disturbing for some readers.

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty to stabbing his wife to death, officials announced on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, around 8:30 a.m., Bethlehem Township Police responded to a home on the 2100 block of 3^rd Street in Easton, Pennsylvania, for a welfare check. A family member had told police they were concerned about the wellbeing of the people inside the house.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.

The responding officers banged on the doors and windows, announcing their presence but no one answered. They then used a ladder to enter a second-floor window and were met by 58-year-old James Christopher Frank.

After opening the door for the officers, Frank led them into a bedroom and told them, “My wife is dead in the bathtub.” The officers entered the bathroom and found the body of Frank’s wife, 55-year-old Deborah Denise Glaser, in the tub. Glaser was facedown in the tub with multiple puncture wounds while her shirt was soaked in blood.

The officers also found knives, razor blades, box cutters and a mallet inside the bathroom.

Frank admitted to police that he cut his wife’s throat with a steak knife. He then told police he punctured his wife’s chest and heart with a knife and hammer around 10 times to make sure she was dead. He was then arrested and charged.

On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Frank entered a guilty plea to the charge of first-degree murder. The mandatory sentence is life in prison. He is scheduled for sentencing on June 17, 2026.