In the upcoming episode of People Magazine Presents: Crimes of the ’90s, the shocking case of Shauna Howe’s assault and murder from Halloween in 1992 will be explored. On October 27, 1992, 11-year-old Shauna was abducted while walking home from a Girl Scout Halloween party in Oil City, Pennsylvania.
After several hours had gone, her mother called the police when she still hadn’t returned home. Additionally, a male is said to have been seen by an eyewitness shoving a girl into a car. He reportedly gave details about the suspect and his vehicle. The mangled body of Shauna Howe was discovered under a railroad bridge approximately six miles distant in Rockland after a three-day intensive search. Years passed before the three criminals were apprehended.
Continue reading for more information about Shauna Howe’s disturbing case and how it was resolved.
What happened to Shauna Howe? Who was she?
Shauna Howe, a Pennsylvania native born in July 1981, was 11 years old when the crime was committed. Shauna was an extremely attractive and likeable young lady who, despite her parents’ split, still had a wonderful relationship with both of them. Halloween was one of her favorite times of the year, according to her family. Sadly, her happiness was short-lived when October 27, 1992, brought Halloween.
On October 27, at at 4:30 PM, Shauna left her home to go to a Girl Scouts Halloween party. She did not get home, nevertheless, until after midnight. Later that evening, her mother got in touch with the police. A “skinny, unkempt man” was allegedly seen by an eyewitness picking up a young girl violently at the intersection of West First and Reed streets.
Shauna’s body was discovered six miles distant in Rockland, under a railroad bridge, after a three-day long, vigorous search. Authorities apparently suspected that her killers threw her into East Sandy Creek’s boulder-strewn tributary from the trestle’s side.
She had suffered blunt force damage to her head and chest, according to an autopsy. She had been assaulted prior to her death, authorities also found. Her wounds also suggested that she was still alive when she attempted to break her fall after being pushed off the trestle. Eldred “Ted” Walker was first considered a suspect based on the eyewitness’s account, but he was eventually released since his DNA did not match that of Shauna Howe’s body.
Who was Shauna Howe’s murderer?
When a DNA profile matched the biological evidence taken from Shauna in 2002, the authorities finally made progress after years of being at a standstill. James O’Brien was the owner of it. Timothy O’Brien’s DNA was also found in Shauna’s body and was matched separately.
James was allegedly not suspected by authorities because they believed incorrectly that he was incarcerated at the time of the incident. They quickly made a connection between Ted Walker, James, and Timothy. When Ted was hauled in once more, he eventually accepted a plea bargain and admitted what had occurred that day.
He claimed that at first they intended to abduct a youngster as a practical joke on the local authorities, but things quickly got serious and the O’Brien brothers took Shauna. Although Ted didn’t reveal his pals’ secrets, he thought that whatever they did was bad.
The O’Brien brothers received a life term in jail when the jury found them guilty. Ted received a prison term of 20 to 40 years.
The case will be thoroughly examined in the upcoming episode of People Magazine Presents: Crimes of the ’90s, which will debut on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at 8 PM on Investigation Discovery.