Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Woman Found Lying in Pool of Blood in Church Office, and Her Killer “Shocked” Some | Oxygen Official Site
On January 23, 2008, Rhonda Smith was found face down in an office at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Springfield Township, Pennsylvania.
Smith, 42, had been shot twice. Judy Zellner, a close friend of the victim, stumbled upon the horrifying scene when she arrived at 12:30 p.m. to clean the church that she was a member of.
Zellner’s frantic 911 call can be heard in the “Sinner and Saint” episode of Philly Homicide, airing Saturdays at 9/8c p.m. on Oxygen.
“She’s dead,” Zellner told the dispatcher. “There’s blood all over her head and around her head.” But when paramedics arrived, they’d found that Smith was still clinging to life, and she was rushed to the hospital.
Who was Rhonda Smith?
Investigators learned that Smith had been a member of the church for two years. The pastor and congregation had embraced her, and she’d recently taken a part-time job there.
“She couldn’t handle a full-time job at the church,” said Zellner. “She was bipolar, and it would grab her when she least expected it.”
Smith’s mental health impacted her career. “Rhonda had a passion for teaching. She had a passion for children,” Deanna Durante, a reporter for Philadelphia-based WCAU, said on Philly Homicide.
Smith pursued teaching in college. “But bipolar got to her right at the last semester, and she never graduated,” said Zellner.
Smith yearned for independence and moved into her own apartment. Money was tight. She shared with church pastor Greg Shreaves that she was having trouble paying her bills.
The pastor rallied members of the congregation to help. “Some of us gave her cash and some gift cards, and they put it in a Christmas card,” said Zellner.
“Three days before Rhonda Smith was found, she stood in front of her congregation and thanked them for all of the help they had given her,” said Durante.
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Investigators try to figure out what happened to Rhonda Smith
Pennsylvania State Troopers processed the scene. They collected bullet fragments that could help determine the kind of gun the shooter used.
“The police also took possession of the office computer for an expert to do a forensic analysis,” said David W. Zellis, who was then a First Assistant District Attorney in the Bucks County DA’s Office.
As troopers interviewed church members, the subject of suicide came up. The fact that Smith was shot twice didn’t automatically rule that out.
Louis Gober, a sergeant with the Pennsylvania State Police, said that he had seen suicides “where there are multiple gunshots from a victim into themselves.”
But there was no gun at the scene, which led to more questions. “Detectives asked me, did I kick a gun, did I see a gun, did I hide a gun?” said Zellner. “There was no gun.”
Several hours after the shooting, Smith’s parents made the difficult decision to end life support. “We circled around her, holding hands,” Zellner told Philly Homicide.
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What were the results of Rhonda Smith’s autopsy?
Smith had been shot twice. “One was a glancing wound to her head, and the other one had penetrated her skull,” said Richard Webb, Jr., who was then a lieutenant with the Pennsylvania State Police.
The forensic pathologist observed gunpowder stippling on Smith’s forehead and on her hand. The evidence indicated that she raised her hand in a defensive position.
The evidence ruled out suicide and Smith’s death was categorized as a homicide. From the bullet fragments, investigators determined that the murder weapon was a .38 caliber gun.
Investigators developed a theory of the crime. “The first gunshot would have stunned or knocked down Rhonda,” said Webb. “The second one was much closer, apparently, standing over her.”
When they analyzed the church computer, detectives saw that Smith logged on at 9:40 a.m. and made her last entry at 10:58 a.m. She was found at 12:30 p.m. Troopers determined the murder to have occurred at around 11 a.m.
Pastor’s tip leads to a suspect
Investigators focused on Smith’s close circle, including Pastor Shreaves. He’d been out of town at a conference for three days.
Being away “ruled out the possibility that he could have been involved,” said Webb, adding that Shreaves knew his parishioners better than anyone. “He became a valuable tool to try and home in on a suspect.”
A one-time person of interest was a man who showed up at the church on a couple occasions. “He said to one of our parishioners, ‘This would be a good place to rob,’ so we were a little skeptical,” said Zellner.
When troopers couldn’t find that stranger, he was put on the back burner. Detectives investigated two men in Smith’s mental health support group whose rock-solid alibis cleared them, according to Philly Homicide.
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Shreaves also shared the name of Mary Jane Fonder, a 65-year-old parishioner and longtime community member who frequently left rambling phone messages for the pastor.
It was a game-changing tip. “It refocused our investigation,” Webb said.
Mary Jane Fonder becomes key suspect
The pastor had described Fonder as a “lonely soul.”
“He invited her to help decorate the church, but whatever interest he had shown toward her, she misinterpreted,” said Zellis.
Shreaves was adamant that he’d never had a romantic relationship with Fonder, said Gober.
Through a background check, detectives learned that Fonder grew up in West Philadelphia and had worked as a health care aide.
She’d moved to Springfield Township to care for her aging parents. She had a .38 caliber handgun registered to her.
Phone records showed that Fonder had called the church on the morning of January 23. Two days later, Fonder was questioned by detectives.
Fonder shared that congregants had never offered financial help to her or the chance to socialize. “[She] was bothered by the attention that Rhonda got, not just from the pastor, but from the entire church,” said Durante.
Mystery from Mary Jane Fonder’s past surfaces
Fonder told police that she’d bought a handgun in 1993, which was the same year that her dad disappeared. By this time, her mother had died. Fonder claimed that she threw the gun off a bridge into Lake Nockamixon, a local reservoir.
A search at the time for Fonder’s missing father turned up that she was cashing his Social Security checks. “Her father’s investigation, from our understanding, was still open and active,” said Gober.
When asked to account for her whereabouts on the day of Smith’s murder, Fonder said that she’d had an 11 a.m. hairdresser appointment. Police learned that she was about 20 minutes late for it and had left her wig.
The hairpiece, which hadn’t been washed at the salon, was tested for gunpowder residue but came up negative.
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While a police search for a gun at Lake Nockamixon was unsuccessful, analysis of Fonder’s vehicle showed gunpowder residue on the steering wheel and gear shift.
In late March, detectives caught a big break when fishermen snagged a gun at Lake Nockamixon. It turned out to be the firearm registered to Fonder. Analysis showed that it was the weapon used to kill Smith.
Mary Jane Fonder arrested for murder
On April 1, 2008, Fonder was arrested for murder. “That shocked some people, but it didn’t shock me,” said Smith’s friend Sue Brunner.
It appeared that Fonder wasn’t surprised, either. “Mary Jane saw this coming, to the point that she had already consulted a criminal defense attorney,” said Durante.
The trial began in the fall, and people were riveted.
“The prosecutor’s case here is that Mary Jane Fonder was motivated by jealousy, her desire to have the church pastor’s attention all to herself,” Durante added.
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What happened to Mary Jane Fonder?
On October 30, 2008, Fonder was found guilty of first-degree murder. She was sentenced to life without the chance of parole.
Fonder went into cardiac arrest and died in prison on June 4, 2018. Her father’s disappearance remains unsolved.
To learn more about the case, watch the “Sinner and Saint” episode of Philly Homicide, which airs new episodes Saturdays at 9/8c p.m. on Oxygen.
Pennsylvania
Man charged after over 100 human skeletal remains found in Pennsylvania home – National | Globalnews.ca
A Pennsylvania man has been arrested and is facing more than 500 charges after he was accused of stealing human skulls and “numerous” skeletal remains from an abandoned cemetery on Philadelphia’s outskirts, according to police.
Bones and skulls visible in the back seat of a car near the cemetery led police to the home and storage unit of Jonathan Gerlach, 34, after police had been looking into a string of burglaries.
Investigators checked Gerlach’s licence plates and found that he had been near the cemetery repeatedly during the period when the burglaries occurred.
Officers say the Jan. 6 arrest culminated a months-long investigation into break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery, where at least 26 mausoleums and vaults had been forced open since early November.
After searching Gerlach’s home and storage unit, investigators reported finding more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos and other skeletal items.
“They were in various states. Some of them were hanging, as it were. Some of them were pieced together, some were just skulls on a shelf,” Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said.
Most of the findings were in Gerlach’s basement, authorities said. They also recovered jewelry believed to be linked to the graves, and a pacemaker that was still attached.
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“Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life in that home. It is truly, in the most literal sense of the word, horrific. I grieve for those who are upset by this, who are going through this, who are trying to figure out if it is, in fact, one of their loved ones,” Rouse added.
Police say Gerlach targeted mausoleums and underground vaults at the cemetery, which was established in 1855. Gerlach was arrested as he walked back toward his car with a crowbar, police said.
He also had a burlap bag in which officers found the mummified remains of two small children, three skulls and other bones.
Gerlach then told investigators that he took around 30 sets of human remains and showed them the graves he stole from, police said.
Police believe the remains were also taken from other cemeteries in the region. They are investigating the Human Bones and Skull Selling Group on Facebook, where Gerlach was reportedly tagged and pictured holding a skull.
He was charged with 100 counts each of abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property, along with multiple counts of desecrating a public monument, desecrating a venerated object, desecrating a historic burial place, burglary, trespassing and theft.
Mount Moriah Cemetery released a statement on its Instagram Stories following Gerlach’s arrest, thanking Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, the Yeadon Police Department and the Philadelphia Police Department for “their hard work and dedication to this case.”
“Our team has been working alongside all parties involved and will continue to do so throughout the remainder of the investigation. Please direct any specific questions regarding this case to the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office,” it said.
“Mount Moriah is the largest abandoned cemetery in the United States. Its historic grounds are cared for by a dedicated group of approximately 12 volunteers who show up week in and week out to preserve this space.”
Gerlach is being held on $1-million bail, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 20.
— With files from The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Follow reporter eating his way through the 2026 PA Farm Show show food
Reporter Jack Gleckler eats his way through the 2026 PA Farm Show show food court preview to find his favorites in burgers, perogies, mushrooms and more.
As we were sequestered around the Expo Hall and Main Hall at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center, guided by Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding and a Benjamin Franklin re-enactor Bill Robling, my mind began to wander to food.
Thursday marked my inaugural visit to the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, the 110th iteration the expo and one that coincided with the 250th anniversary of the Untied States’ founding. While I and York Daily Record photographer Paul Kuehnel joined a flock of other reporters for the Farm Show’s preview, we were treated to a taste of many of the foods, both new and returning, that would be offered to visitors in the sprawling food court inside the Expo Hall.
Considering I hadn’t had breakfast that morning, I was willing to oblige.
With such an anniversary on the horizon, the Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Association unveiled a flight of red, white and blue milkshake flavors. Newer additions to the menu including pickle pizza from the Pennsylvania FFA and Lion’s Mane coffee from the Pennsylvania Mushroom Farmers, among others.
Here are some of the items the preview provided, as well as what to try when the food court opens at noon on Jan. 9.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom Coffee
Mushrooms are a major cash crop for Pennsylvania, with nearly 60 percent of U.S. production of the crop running through the commonwealth. Lion’s Mane mushrooms, especially, have been linked to brain health benefits thanks to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, according to a published paper by the journal Nutrients.
The coffee itself is a dark roast blended with ground Lion’s Mane mushrooms, and the flavor provides a slight, hearty twang to its benefit. Considering I hadn’t had my own coffee that morning, it provided me with an immediate jolt of energy.
Pierogi
Fun fact: pierogi is plural! A classic done right by the PA Cooperative Potato Growers, Inc., the pierogi are soft, chewy and contain a starchy potato filling that satisfies any craving but doesn’t weigh you down. The pierogi also come with grilled onions on top, which adds a savory boost to keep you wanting more.
Blended Mushroom Steakhouse Burger
Piled high with a mix of mushrooms grown right in Pennsylvania and a slathering of Alabama barbecue sauce, the Pennsylvania Mushroom Farmers offer a burger with a twist. The patty itself is 75 percent grass-fed beef, 25 percent mushroom, and it works. The burger retains the flavor of a traditional all-beef patty while keeping in style with the Pennsylvania Mushroom Farmers’ mission to introduce the state’s cash crop to a variety of dishes. And the Alabama barbecue sauce provides a twang to the ensemble.
Stuffed Baby Bella Mushrooms
Returning to the menu provided by the Pennsylvania Mushroom Farmers, you are provided with four bite-sized mushrooms that come in two flavors: artichoke and spinach and bacon and cheese.
The mushrooms are an excellent snack or starter for the Farm Fest, filled with flavor and firm enough to burst with juices after your first bite.
Potato Doughnut
The granddaddy of them all and a Farm Show staple, the potato doughnut makes its return in its three traditional flavors: plain, powdered and cinnamon sugar. It’s not as flaky as a traditional doughnut, and not as heavy either.
Red, White and Blue Milkshakes
With the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding, the The Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Association, a vendor with the Farm Show since 1955, saw fit to roll out a milkshake flight of red, white and bBlue milkshakes to ring in the sestercentennial. The white is a normal vanilla flavor, the red is strawberry and the blue is a raspberry flavor.
The Dairyman’s Association has also made an intentional move this year away from artificial dyes in their milkshakes, shifting to natural dyes to provide the color.
Dave Smith, executive director of the Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Association, said the move had been a goal of the Dairyman’s Association ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“That was one of my priorities, to figure out how we could do something like that,” Smith said. “What we found is that (the colors) are not as distinct as what they would have been if they were artificial. It’s more subtle.”
This shift doesn’t affect the flavor one bit. All three options are sweet, thick and delicious, as to be expected.
Plan your trip to the Pennsylvania Farm Show
For more information about the Farm Show, check out the full schedule of events here. The food court opens to the public on Jan. 9 from noon until 9 p.m. with the bulk of the expo running from Jan. 10-17.
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency on Thursday launched a new website aimed at preventing human trafficking and better supporting victims by bringing together resources for first responders, social service providers and members of the public.
The announcement came during Human Trafficking Prevention Month at a roundtable discussion in Philadelphia that included state and local officials, advocates, social service providers and survivors.
The new website, developed with Villanova University’s Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation, provides trauma-informed training materials, guidance on recognizing warning signs of trafficking and information on how to report suspected cases.
“The fight against trafficking begins with coordination and working together to raise awareness of the warning signs, making sure people know where and how to report, strengthening support for survivors, and holding perpetrators accountable,” Kathy Buckley, director of PCCD’s Office of Victims’ Services, said in a press release.
Human trafficking is the crime of using force, fraud or coercion to induce another person to perform labor or sex acts.
According to the Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition, the number of identified trafficking survivors in the region increased by 23% in 2025 compared to the previous year. The organization cites housing, food assistance, medical care and counseling among the most common needs for survivors
“That’s the goal of our new website and the purpose of this conversation today, shining a light on organizations leading this work and ensuring that all across Pennsylvania, every individual knows there are people and resources dedicated to combating all forms of exploitation,” Buckley said.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 26 states have enacted legislation creating human-trafficking task forces, study groups or similar coordination efforts. Eight of those states — Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri and Rhode Island apply to sex trafficking only, while the others target both labor and sex trafficking.
In 2019, researchers in the Biotechnology and Human Systems studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology released a Human Trafficking Technology Roadmap aimed at helping federal, state and local agencies to better identify, investigate and prosecute trafficking cases. The report’s recommendations include building tools that automatically analyze large amounts of data, establishing centralized collections of evidence templates and trafficking “signatures,” and developing shared computing systems for law enforcement and courts.
Pennsylvania’s new website builds on efforts by the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro, who announced his reelection bid Thursday, to combat human trafficking. Those include spending $14 million over the past two budget cycles on the Victims Compensation Assistance Program and moving the state’s Anti-Human Trafficking Workgroup under PCCD’s leadership. That group now focuses on training, law enforcement coordination, victim services and public awareness.
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