Anyone heard of the Mary Jane Fonder case?

[XanaDUer]

I just saw this story on the ID Discovery Channel (for any tc fans out there who can get it, I recommend this channel-it is what TRUTv used to be, just a lot of cases and shows done very well).

Ms. Fonder shot and killed a 42-year-old woman because she thought the pastor of the Lutheran Church they both attended was having a romantic relationship with her ( they were not-the congregation was just helping the victim, Ms. Smith, due to a bipolar disability and lack of funds).

http://www.topix.com/album/detail/quakertown-pa/Q1V2UV3IE2SHKSTI

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1225425974210560.xml&coll=3

http://mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/rhonda-smith-murder-1232008-bucks-county-pa-fellow-parishoner-66-year-old-mary-jane-fonder-arrested-for-the-murder/

"Investigators say Fonder was driven to kill by her infatuation with the Rev. Gregory Shreaves, the church pastor, and envy of the attention Smith was getting from the pastor and other church members. They claim Fonder, who in the past made repeated "inappropriate" phone calls to the pastor, went to the Route 212 church on the morning of Jan. 23 and shot Smith before going to get her hair done and go shopping."

Also according to investigators, most people described her as being unusual or threatening. Former Springfield Township Police Chief Robert Bell wasn't shocked to hear of the murder she commited, as Bell had already met Fonder with the 1993 disappearance of her father, in which he states she was ''agitated'' during the intense investigation.
Sources: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/all-fonder040308,0,4036866,full.story


A very interesting case. Ms. Fonder had a crush on the pastor herself, and felt that the victim, 42-year-old Rhonda Smith, was getting too much "attention" from the congregation. Interestingly, Ms. Fonder's elderly father disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1993. Do we have a geriatric serial killer here? Mary Jane Fonder was to the point where she was stalking the Lutheran Pastor at the church, and he was afraid due to her obsession with him. No one imagined that a bloody and violent murder would occur because of Ms. Fonder's jealousy and obsession.

Fonder seems like a real sociopath.

[BlueIris]

1. Sorry I didn't see this earlier. Very interesting case. nt

[lavenderdiva]

2. I'm sorry I didn't see your post earlier XanaDuer!

yes, I saw something about the Fonder case some time back, and agree that she has some REAL issues, to put it mildly. Am I wrong about this detail: that the victim was only working there a short time, or that she wasn't supposed to be there that day, but Fonder sort of tracked her down to the Church office, and confronted her there, and then shot her?

[XanaDUer]

3. Hi, LD

Well, from what I gleaned, the victim was helping out in the church's office and the pastor was off at some kind of convention for pastors (or some meeting).

The perp used to call the pastor all day and, maybe, realized the victim was in the office. The perp was delusional and worried that the victim was leading the pastor on (again, the woman was delusional and was in love with the pastor), and went to the office, with a gun, to kill the victim. She shot her in cold blood, then went on to her hair appointment. She was dumb enough to leave her wig at the hairdresser's, and the stylist turned the wig over to the cops to test it for gunshot residue.

There was no residue, but that scared Fonder enough that she threw the gun into a local lake, which was found by a kid fishing.

Is there a book on this case?

[lavenderdiva]

4. I don't think there's a book yet on it

from what I've seen.

Man, I didn't realize all that about her hairdresser and wig and stuff. She was 'wigged' out- arrrrgggghhhh, no pun intended! That REALLY is pretty stupid.

Mr. ld and I watched a disturbing movie on Ted Bundy on cable last night. I've seen a couple of other movies on him, but this was the most graphic and disturbing. I actually didn't sleep well after seeing it. After it was over, they started showing a movie on John Wayne Gacy, and at that point, I was in TC overload, so I told Mr. ld to change the channel!