Death of former pastor's wife in 1999 now ruled homicide

LEBANON--â€"

When Arthur Schirmer was arrested last September and charged with killing his wife, Betty Jean, in 2008, and trying to make it look like a car accident, it made people wonder about the circumstances of the death of Schirmer's first wife, Jewel, who died after falling down stairs in 1999. Suspicions aroused, the case was re-opened by the Lebanon County District Attorney's Office..

Now Jewel Schirmer's death is being called a homicide by the Dauphin County coroner. Arthur Schirmer was a pastor in our area; at the Marietta Bainbridge united Methodist Church in Marietta, and at the Bethany United Methodist Church in Lebanon.

While at Bethany, Jewel Schirmer died. At the time, police believed she fell down the steps. Schirmer told them he found her in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs.

FOX43 News will have a full report on the story at 6pm.

Original Story: A former pastor with ties to Lancaster and Lebanon Counties is charged with killing his wife and trying to cover it up as a car accident. Pennsylvania State Police say Arthur Burton Schirmer, 62, of Reeders, Pa, killed his wife, Betty Jean Schirmer, in 2008 and tried to make it look like she suffered her injuries in a crash.

On July 15th of 2008, Schirmer reported he lost control of his car trying to avoid a deer and hit a guard rail at a high rate of speed. Betty Schirmer was in the passenger's seat not wearing a seat belt. She died the next day at the Lehigh Valley Hospital as a result of blunt force head trauma. In November of 2008, the case was reopened when there was a suicide at the Reeders United Methodist Church, where Arthur Schirmer was pastor. Police say Schrimer was having an affair with the man's wife, and the man killed himself in Schrimer's office at the church. The man was married to the church secretary.

Further investigation revealed that the crash on July 15th was actually minor, and occurred at speeds between 18-22 mph. Betty Schirmer was bleeding before the car accident. Police executing a search warrant found Betty Schirmer's blood in the garage of the parsonage.

A forensic pathologist and the Lehigh County Coroner determined the crash did not cause the injuries that killed Betty Schirmer. The coroner changed the manner of her death to homicide.

Arthur Schirmer was also a pastor in our area; at the Marietta Bainbridge united Methodist Church in Marietta, and at the Bethany United Methodist Church in Lebanon.

While at Bethany, Schrimer's first wife, Jewel, died. At the time, police believed she fell down the steps. Schirmer told them he found her in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs. Now, that case is being re-opened. Lebanon County District Attorney David Arnold says they will re-interview people and take another look at evidence.

Anyone with additional information that would aid the investigation is asked to call State Police at 570-646-2271 or 570-459-3890, or Pocono Township Police at 570-629-7323.