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Jason Shackleford
A Columbia man who raped and strangled to death his ex-girlfriend's 12-year-old daughter and then raped and sexually assaulted her mother will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty Friday.
In exchange for his plea, Jason Shackelford avoided the possibility of a jury sentencing him to death, even though the state currently has a moratorium on it.
During the hearing before Lancaster County Judge Jeffery Wright, Shackelford, 40, admitted raping Elaina Smith, strangling her, then placing her body in a freezer overnight Feb. 8-9, 2023.
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“I’m a lifelong Lancaster County resident,” prosecuting Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick said during the proceeding. “This is one of the most vile, heinous crimes we’ve ever seen here. I hope he thinks about Elaina’s face every day for the rest of his life and he’s tortured by it.” Lancaster County Judge Jeffery Wright accepted the guilty plea and sentenced Shackelford to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 40 years on the first docket of charges that the defendant raped, strangled, and killed Smith. Shackelford was also sentenced to an additional life plus 25 to 50 years for raping the second victim, which was a second-strike offense. “Remember Elaina’s name, her smile,” Judge Wright said to Smith’s family in the gallery. “Remember the light and hope she brought into your life.” Shackelford admitted to raping and killing Elaina Smith when the two were alone at the Avenue H residence in Columbia on the night of Feb. 8, 2023, into Feb. 9. ADA Haverstick laid out the facts of the case that the two were watching a movie before Shackelford killed Smith by strangulation and put her deceased body in a freezer. An initial search by the Columbia Borough Police Department revealed the body located inside a chest freezer in the basement. East Lampeter Township Police were later dispatched to the Wyndham Lancaster hotel at 2300 Lincoln Highway East for a domestic disturbance on Feb. 10. Officers contacted Shackelford and a second victim, who told officers that while she was working the night shift on Feb. 8 into Feb. 9 Shackelford said he kidnapped Smith. The victim voluntarily provided a statement to and was interviewed by Columbia Police around 6:50 a.m. on Feb. 10 and stated Shackelford and she were going through a breakup, and she recently asked him to move out. The victim stated she received a text while at work around 6:35 a.m. on Feb. 9 from Shackelford saying Smith was sick and in bed. The victim stated when she returned home from work around 7:45 a.m., Shackelford and she got into an argument, and Shackelford showed her Smith’s empty bed. Shackelford stated he took Smith to New York, and she was safe. The second victim stated Shackelford raped her before forcing her to go to the Wyndham Lancaster hotel with him. Shackelford used Smith’s well-being as leverage and sexually assaulted the second victim again at the hotel before allowing her to go smoke a cigarette. At this time, the victim alerted hotel staff to call the police. Columbia Police Detective Matthew Leddy filed charges.
ReplyDeleteSourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/da/11617/post/columbia-man-sentenced-life-prison-raping-murdering-12-year-old?fbclid=IwAR0aRzYri8KNPbdfNRBJo53bK1q8yEv8Qba31hjXG66nX76EZdsltKLa-k8