Now, let me tell ya ’bout this fella they call A.B. Schirmer. Oh, folks out here in the countryside, we might not know all them fancy words, but stories like this – they spread like wildfire. This Schirmer, he ain’t no ordinary man. Folks trusted him like he was a saint, being a pastor and all, but turns out he had more secrets than a fox in a henhouse.
Who is A.B. Schirmer?
Ya know, when people heard of Arthur “A.B.” Schirmer, they thought, “Oh, here’s a godly man!” He was a pastor, after all, preachin’ and whatnot over in Pennsylvania. But this man, well, he had a dark side that’d send shivers down a farm cat’s back! Seems like ol’ Schirmer was known for gettin’ involved with other women in his church – and not in no godly way, if ya catch my drift.
First Wife’s “Accident”
Now, folks talk about his first wife, Jewel, who died in 1999. They say it was an accident, somethin’ ’bout fallin’ down them stairs. But back then, nobody suspected ol’ Schirmer. People just said, “Oh, how tragic, poor pastor lost his wife.” And ya know, small towns, they don’t ask too many questions when it comes to grief and all. But, oh, if they’d only known what was comin’ next.
The “Sinister Minister” and Second Wife’s Fate
Then comes the story of Betty Schirmer, his second wife. Now, by 2008, things looked fishy again. Schirmer told folks it was a car accident up there in the Pocono Mountains. That’s what he claimed, anyway. But see, when you peel back the layers, turns out things weren’t what they seemed. Prosecutors started callin’ him the “sinister minister” – like he’d been hidin’ somethin’ dark right under everybody’s nose.
Seems the investigators found out Betty didn’t just die in some regular ol’ crash. They reckon Schirmer hit her on the head, maybe with somethin’ like a crowbar! Now, you don’t just carry a crowbar around unless you’re fixin’ to cause trouble, right? That’s what got people thinkin’ – and that’s what got folks in Lebanon County re-openin’ the case, even diggin’ deeper into his past.
The Reopening of Old Wounds
Now, back in 2010, after all this came to light, people were startin’ to wonder. How come nobody noticed all them years? How come this fella was allowed to roam around free, marryin’ again, preachin’ like he was some godly man? Turns out, in small towns, people sometimes put too much trust in appearances. But when they re-opened the case in Lebanon County, folks found a whole new tale. They looked at Betty’s death, then thought back to poor Jewel. Seemed like maybe Jewel’s death wasn’t no accident neither!
A Trail of Secrets in the Church
It wasn’t just about his wives, neither. They say Schirmer had a way with women in the church, especially those who were strugglin’ in their own marriages. And while he was preachin’ up there on Sundays, he was busy, well, interferin’ where he shouldn’t have been. It’s like the man had a double life – on one side, he was up there talkin’ about right and wrong, and on the other side, he was breakin’ his own vows left and right!
Justice for the Families
Now, thinkin’ about them families, well, it’s just heartbreaking. All them years believin’ that their loved ones died in accidents. Betty’s kin, they didn’t just let things go neither. They fought to find the truth, and bless ’em, they sure dug it up! They pushed for justice, even when it meant lookin’ into old hurts.
They say justice don’t come easy, but it’s worth it. Sometimes folks get away with things for a while, but they can’t hide forever. That Schirmer, he got found out eventually. Folks in small towns might not be big on fancy lawyers, but they know how to stick together when somethin’ ain’t right. And that’s how they got him, all them questions and diggin’ around. Bet he never thought people’d piece it all together!
A Lesson for All of Us
So, when people hear stories like this, well, it just goes to show. Don’t be trustin’ folks just ’cause they wear a suit or stand up on a pulpit. Sometimes the biggest wolves got the softest sheep’s wool on. People in Lebanon County, they learned that the hard way, but now, everybody’s more careful.
In the end, this whole story ’bout A.B. Schirmer is a reminder. You never know who someone really is until the truth comes out, and sometimes it’s the ones ya least suspect who hide the darkest secrets. This here tale of the “sinister minister” is one that folks won’t forget too soon, that’s for sure. And while small towns may forgive and forget, they sure do remember what’s right and what’s wrong.
Tags：[A.B. Schirmer, sinister minister, Lebanon County, Pocono Mountains, true crime, pastor secrets]