A.B. Schirmer wives deaths: evidence led to murder charge

The A.B. Schirmer wives deaths came under fresh scrutiny after a parishioner died by suicide in a Pennsylvania church office, CBS News’ “48 Hours” reported.

Joe Musante was found dead in October 2008 at the pastor’s desk in Reeders, Pennsylvania, with a single gunshot wound to the head. His sister, Rose Cobb, told CBS she soon learned Musante’s wife, Cindy, had fallen in love with her boss and family pastor, Arthur Burton “A.B.” Schirmer.

Cindy told Cobb that Schirmer’s second wife, Betty, had died three months earlier after a crash involving a deer, according to CBS. Cobb also learned Schirmer’s first wife, Jewel, had died in 1999 after what was described as a fall down stairs.

What happened in the A.B. Schirmer wives deaths?

Betty Schirmer died in July 2008 after A.B. Schirmer said he swerved to avoid a deer while driving her to a hospital for jaw pain, CBS reported. Jewel Schirmer died in 1999 after Schirmer said she fell while vacuuming stairs.

Pocono Township Detective Jim Wagner first reviewed Musante’s death. He told CBS the evidence supported suicide: glass fragments were found on Musante’s shoes, blood patterns did not appear out of place, and both Schirmer and Cindy had alibis that checked out.

Wagner then looked at Betty’s death. He told CBS the crash had been classified as an accident, no autopsy was performed, and Betty’s body was cremated the next day.

Schirmer told responding officers a deer caused him to lose control and hit a guardrail, according to Wagner. But Wagner said photos showed no skid marks, no sign of braking, no airbag deployment, and only minor damage to a car he described as still drivable.

Stan Dickerson, a passing driver who stopped at the scene, told CBS he found Schirmer calm and had to call 911 himself. Dickerson said Betty was badly hurt and there was blood in the vehicle.

Wagner also questioned blood found on Betty’s seat cushion. He told CBS it appeared absorbed beneath where she had been sitting, which he said suggested she was placed there after bleeding.

In December 2008, investigators searched the parsonage. Wagner said they found blood drops in the garage and used luminol, a chemical that can reveal traces of blood, to show a trail leading toward the passenger side of the car. Tests later confirmed the blood was Betty’s, CBS reported.

Wagner said Schirmer first denied Betty had bled in the garage, then said he and Betty had been cut while moving wood. Investigators found newspapers dated September 2008 beneath the woodpile, after Betty’s death, Wagner told CBS.

Investigators also revisited Jewel’s death. Dr. Wayne Ross, the medical examiner who performed Jewel’s autopsy, told CBS he found no heart disease and classified the cause of death as undetermined because her skull fractures did not match a typical stair fall in his view.

Ross later reviewed Betty’s medical records and CAT scans. He told CBS both women suffered traumatic brain injuries with similar right-side head wounds, a pattern he called extremely unlikely to be coincidence.

Schirmer’s daughters, Julie and Amy, told CBS they had believed their mother Jewel’s death was an accident, and Amy said their father could appear calm while privately upset. Schirmer had also told family members different explanations about why Betty was not wearing a seatbelt, according to accounts given to CBS.

In 2010, Samantha Musante, Cindy’s daughter, contacted police after her mother said Schirmer had bought her a ring. Monroe County Detective Wendy Serfass told CBS Samantha feared for her mother’s safety.

Schirmer was arrested in September 2010 and charged with murdering Betty Schirmer, CBS reported. The report described the charge and the evidence investigators cited; it did not present a trial outcome in the material summarized here.

This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.