Family reacts to Schirmer's plea to third degree murder

Only a handful of people attended Arthur "A.B." Schirmer's pre-trial hearing on Monday morning in Courtroom No. 1 at the Lebanon Municipal Building.

Among them were Schirmer's daughters, Amy Wolfgang and Julie Campbell, who have steadfastly maintained his innocence in the deaths of their mother, Jewel, and Schirmer's second wife, Betty Jean, for which he is serving a life sentence at Greene State Correctional Institution in Waynesburg, Greene County.

Wolfgang, 43, and Campbell, 42, were visibly shaken during the proceeding as they watched their shackled, 66-year-father plead no-contest to third degree murder for their mother's death in 1999.

At one point Wolfgang leaned forward and sobbed as Campbell gently rubbed her back.

Next to the women was Schirmer's fiancee, Cynthia Moyer, 49, who also was upset and shook her head no several times during the proceeding.

After the hearing the three sat on a bench in the hallway outside the courtroom, quietly talking to each other.

The daughters said they learned of their father's plea agreement shortly before the hearing.

The women declined to make a comment and initially said they planned to issue a statement later in the day, but they eventually decided against it.


Also attending the hearing was Jewel Schirmer's brother, John Behney, who has always believed that Schirmer was responsible for his older sister's death. Behney was scheduled to be a witness for the prosecution. He did not exchange words with his nieces before or after the hearing.

Behney, 52, said he had mixed feelings about the plea agreement.

"I was looking forward to getting up on the witness stand and telling my side of the story," he said. "But I am relieved that we don't have to go through another trial. It's as good as a guilty plea. I feel District Attorney David Arnold and the county detectives did the best they could. All I was after was for the truth to come out about my sister and for her to get justice, which, in my opinion, is what happened."

Schirmer's sentencing will be done at a later date via teleconference with Schirmer at Greene State Correctional Institution. Behney said he expects Judge John C. Tylwalk to give him the maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years and a $50,000 fine.

"He will die in prison," Behney said.

Behney said he is looking forward to making a statement at the sentencing hearing, even if Schirmer will not be in the same room.

"I'm going to tell him how much of a coward he is for killing my sister the way he did it and lying to his children and the fact that he hid behind the pulpit," Behney said. "I don't have anything good to say about the man."

Betty Schirmer's mother, Jean Shertzer, who lives in Hummelstown, was also at Monday's hearing.

As she left the courtroom, she also expressed contempt for Schirmer. Shaking her cane, Shertzer said, "I'd like to shove this down his throat."

Shertzer, 86, said she was surprised by Schirmer's plea but was glad to avoid having to sit through another lengthy trial. She said that her daughter would have turned 62 last Friday.

"He would not have gotten out anyway," she said. "He is in for life. He knows he did it, and I know he did it."