Testimony Continues at Poconos Pastor's Murder Trial

An investigator testifying at the trial of a former northeastern Pennsylvania pastor charged with killing his wife and staging a car accident to cover it up testified Thursday that police found too much blood for it to have come from the crash.

Arthur Schirmer is charged with homicide in the 2008 death of Betty Schirmer in the Poconos.

“My first thought was that this blood could not have been associated with this crash,” the former state police investigator, Phil Barletto, testified Thursday. “None of the blood made any sense to me.”

Prosecutors contend Schirmer hit his wife on the head with a metal object, then loaded her into the car and staged the crash.

Also taking the stand Thursday was Matthew DeWalt of Scott's Collision, where Schirmer's car was towed after the crash, The Pocono Record reported.

DeWalt testified that there was a quarter-inch to half-inch of blood inside the car's rear right map pocket.

The repair bill came to $11,000 and the car was valued at $12,000 but Schirmer still wanted the repairs made, DeWalt testified.

“This is a perfectly fine car,” Schirmer testified that DeWalt told him.

The trial continues Friday.

Schirmer is charged separately in the 1999 death of his first wife, Jewel. He has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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