Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘Without a Prayer’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘American Monster: Abuse of Power’ delves deep into the horrific crimes of Arthur Burton Schirmer, a pastor who killed his two wives, Jewel and Betty Shirmer. In order to conceal his crimes, he fabricated false stories and even staged a car accident when questioned by the law enforcement officers. When the true identity of the popular pastor was revealed, the entire community was left shell-shocked, realizing that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
A.B. Schirmer Was Responsible For the Deaths of His Two Wives
Born on May 1, 1948, Arthur Burton Schirmer, also known as A.B. Schirmer, was a long-time pastor of Bethany United Methodist Church in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where he resided with Jewel Schirmer. Over the course of their marriage, the couple had given birth to two daughters, Amy Wolfgang and Julie Campbell. On the fateful day of April 23, 1999, the 50-year-old woman, to whom he had been married for 31 years, was found unresponsive in the pool of her own blood at the foot of the basement steps in their residence at 915 Skyline Drive in North Lebanon Township. After she succumbed to her injuries at Hershey Medical Center the next day, the cause of her death was declared undetermined with multiple skull fractures, which were consistent with a fall or blunt trauma from an object.
When the authorities questioned Arthur about the mishap, he claimed that he had gone out for a run at the time of her demise and found her dead with a wire wrapped around her leg. However, the truth was far more sinister as he was responsible for her death and made it look like an accident. Soon, Arthur relocated to Reeders, Monroe County, and took up the role of a pastor at Reeders United Methodist Church. In 2001, he tied the knot with his second wife, Betty. About seven years later, in 2008, the pastor killed 45-year-old Betty using a crowbar and staged a car accident in Pocono Township to get away with murder, again. During his interview with the detectives, Arthur claimed that the car crash happened because he struck a guardrail while driving in order to avoid hitting a deer.
Initially, the authorities deemed his story believable, but when Joe Musante in the church office took his own life a few months later, the truth started to unravel. While investigating the death of Joe, the detectives learned that his wife, Cindy, was having an affair with Arthur. This led the police to reopen the investigation of Betty’s death. Upon digging deeper, they realized that a car accident could not possibly be responsible for the head and brain injuries she had suffered. When they searched Arthur’s house, they found Betty’s blood on the garage floor and other pieces of evidence, enough to charge the pastor with murder. After he was arrested on September 13, 2010, the authorities took another look at Jewel’s murder case and charged him with her killing in September 2012. While awaiting trial for both cases, he maintained his innocence.
A.B. Schirmer is Currently Incarcerated at a Pennsylvania Prison Facility
Arthur Schirmer first stood trial for the murder charge in connection with his second wife, Betty Schirmer. In late 2012, he was found guilty of first-degree murder after the jury deliberated for about 90 minutes to reach a verdict. During the trial, the prosecution claimed that the pastor hit Betty with a crowbar, placed her in their car, and staged a car accident to deceive law enforcement. In his defense, Arthur maintained his innocence and claimed that the accident was real. A few months later, on March 18, 2013, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
More than a year later, on June 30, 2014, Arthur pleaded no contest to third-degree murder in the passing of his first wife, Jewel. During his sentencing hearing on September 10, his two daughters and their respective husbands took the stand and claimed that believed in his claims of innocence. Amy Wolfgang stated, “Our heads are not in the sand. We know our father is incapable of this violence. We know he would never do such a thing to hurt our family.” In contrast, Jewel’s brother, John Behney, also took the stand and said that he “waited a long time for this day.” He addressed the killer directly, stating, “You destroyed so many lives. To this day, you just don’t care.”
The convict was also given the opportunity to speak. He read from a written statement: “I loved her, and she loved me. We did make beautiful music together. I cannot look at my children and grandchildren without seeing her. I did not kill Jewel. I was not the best husband or the best father or the best pastor, but I am not a murderer.” He also asked for forgiveness from his family and friends. In the end, he was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison. As of today, the pastor is serving his sentence at the State Correctional Institution – Greene in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.
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