A Churchwoman’s Conviction Led to Ultimate Carnage

The elderly executioner weaponized her jealousy against another

Rebekah Schroeder
12 min readApr 11, 2022

Mary Jane Fonder was lonely.

She experienced hardships when seeking out romantic partners, never marrying or having children, but she did not need those, as she had spent time cultivating a close relationship with God — her faith, and her church, came first, except for when the pastor heading Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bucks County, a former golf professional and new reverend, Gregory ‘Greg’ Shreaves, caught her attention.

Shreaves only said that she was a talented singer in the church choir who always went the extra mile of helping out. But for Fonder, her interest became an “infatuation,” and quickly, much more than that.

Fonder would kill for Shreaves, no matter who got in the way.

She made up her mind and scribbled something down in her daily planner.

Mary Jane Fonder (Source: Alchetron / Courier Times) [Edit by Author]

Fonder, 65, had been a member of the rural Springfield Township church for 14 years. She felt troubled by the presence of Rhonda Smith, a woman newer to the community. Smith, who attended services for about two years, often with her mother, paralleled Fonder in her lack of children and marriage, but sought out a life of independence.

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