Murder at the Convent

Hi, I'm Holly. And I'm Hailey. Welcome to Mountain Mysteries Tales from Appalachia. Hey, welcome back everybody.

I was so cheerful. Hi. Rara. Hi.

You know what? I want to give a shout out this week because someone that I work with, we just, you know, shoot in the breeze and I said something about, we were talking about true crime or something and I said something about my podcast because this individual just happens to know Reverend Doctor. Wanda? Wanda?

Yes. Yes. And so I made a mention of it and something about that and they, no. Yeah.

Wanda. And so I was like, oh my gosh. And they said, well, how you know Wanda? And I said, well, you know, I met Wanda.

She was on our podcast and they said, what? And so I told them, you know, about the podcast and she said, oh my gosh, I don't, I'm embarrassed to say this, but you know, I love true crime. And she said, my husband thinks that, you know, if he shows up missing one day, that, you know, to look at me, she was like, but I watched so much of it and listened to so much of it. She said, you know, I just, I love it.

It's kind of my jam and I told her about the podcast. And so she started listening. I think she signed up for Patreon. I'm almost certain she did.

Yeah. She told me that she was super excited. She had been asking me questions about the botched execution. She was like, tell me how he walks away from the execution.

What happens? Did the state end up getting him? Like, what happened? I'm like, you got to listen.

I'm going to tell you you got to listen. And she was like, oh my gosh. Okay. I'm going to listen.

I'm going to listen. So she was super excited. So Katrina, I'm going to give you a huge shout out. Thank you so much for supporting me and our podcast and so.

That's cute. Yes. So thank you so much. That's fun.

Yeah. Yeah. It's fun for people to kind of find us. We've been on for, it'll be four years in October.

And that's insane. It's actually telling Haley that by the summer we will reach our 200th episode and it's kind of hard to believe because, you know, four years ago it was just sort of this pipe dream that we were thrown out and like, here we are. So four years later, we aged. And it's not the podcast.

It's not like fine wine. I'll tell you. No. I'll just tell you what I did today.

What? So I was cleaning my house and like, do my kind of, you know, tasks and getting things put up and all the things. So I was cleaning off my kitchen counter and there was a bottle of wine that I'd opened and put like a spopper in. And I was like, I did not like this wine.

And I like, I always felt bad about like just pouring. It's not good. It's not good. And it was a gift.

Like, I didn't know. It wasn't even like a real gift. It was like, Hey, I'm cleaning out. Do you want this?

Do you want this? And I'm like, sure. Or was it for me? It was not for me.

Okay. That sounds like me. And I was like, I don't, I'm sure. And it just was bad.

So I poured it out and threw it away and my boyfriend was over at the time and heard me throw the bottle away. I was like, Hey, what's that? He thought I was like breaking things in the kitchen. He was like, run, run away.

I was having, honestly, I think he thought I'd fall in. That drex. I was like, I told him I was like, no, I didn't throw this wine. So I didn't like it.

So now I'm, I was, I liked the, my Aldi woman. Yeah, that winking owl. That winking owl. She's like, oh yeah.

He said that a classic. That's classy. That's a cheap wine. Excuse me.

It's not in a box. So true. It is a bottle. And I said, yeah, we've got cheap taste.

So he's like, yeah, me too. I felt like that's an insult. I think it is. I think it is.

Do you know how I'm going to let that one slide? Well, let it slide. It's one time. But yeah, so now the winking owl.

Sweet red. So I, I do Instacart and because. It was time. Well, and dragging my kid in a grocery store listening.

I want that. I want that. Mom, you know, no, we're not doing that. So Instacart, another blessing that came out of COVID is Instacart.

And so I just pull up and they put it in the back of my car, but I love Aldi and I went there tonight before you came and we got our Instacart pickup and it was amazing. However, I, you know, it's Easter. So I got some eggs to die and do all the things and I don't know if it was the shuffling that happened, but like the lid came open in the car. Yeah.

And so as I was carrying my bag, I was like, oh, there are a none of them. I swear to you were broke. I couldn't really. I could not.

I thought you're going to say like, oh, it's wet and it was. I saw them on top. I was like, oh, no. I don't know how this happened, but somehow none of them were miraculous.

It was it was. I was like, it was like the second one. Thank you, Jesus. The resurrection was.

Yes. That was the first unbroken eggs. What we will call that is hashtag unbroken. Both Jesus is spirit and Holly's eggs.

Holly's eggs. You know, Easter is my favorite holiday? I did not know that. Actually, Halloween is my favorite holiday.

Oh, I'm probably closely about Easter. Okay. Yeah. Interesting.

I just I don't know why I just I love Easter. I love, you know, I think the the colors and the springiness and I love Easter service. I, you know, we always do big meals, a family, but this Easter, I'm actually not going to be at home. So I will be able to go to my church's Easter service, which I'm a little bummed about because I go every year.

But I think I'm going to be with family. We've talked about like maybe getting up and watching the sunrise and like, having a little Easter. I love that. I love that.

Do you know what my favorite is? Christmas. St. Patrick's.

I'm kidding. It's Christmas. I do love St. Patrick's Day.

However, in our area, there's not really a whole lot. No, I know, which is unfortunate because there's so many folks who are Irish. I'm Irish. Same.

Um, literally. I'm like, where are shirts? And I'm like, don't get pinched. And like, you know, do cute things and I really enjoy it.

That no, Christmas is for sure. My favorite. He just feels magical to me. I like Christmas.

I used to be kind of a Christmas hater, but now is a, you know, more so than college. But now it's like an adult, like settling in. I'm like, you know, I don't like Christmas. I like to decorate.

And it feels warm. And like, when you have your, when you have a child and you see it through their eyes and it's like magical for them. It's sparkly. It's like, you're sad that I gave your house tonight.

Oh yeah. You know what? I was sitting down eating dinner and he had come in and I first had a show, he was a monster truck and I was like, oh yeah, that's cool. But he said, you know, Auntie Haley, do you know that Santa comes down the chimney and I said yes, I do and he brings, he said and he brings presence for everyone.

I was like, wow, that's that's really that's really great. It's really magical and you asked him How does he bring Auntie Haley presents? Yeah, and he said no Just un-cute. No, un-cute.

No, no, it's like, oh, okay But he was so like, he like was so like inviting and like, this is everyone and like, you know, Santa is there to give everyone a gift and Santa loves everybody. Yeah, except for Haley. Yeah. Except for me.

Because Auntie Haley doesn't get it, she's like, I know. I know. I was like, oh, he knows. Very interesting.

He then asked me where my kitty cat was. Yeah, and I said, he is at home. Yeah. He said he runs very fast.

He does indeed. He said, every time I come over the cat runs away. He runs for me as well. Yeah.

So don't feel left out. Yeah, I didn't make him alone. He got scratched the other day, but my parents kitten and you would think that would deter him like, and I said, honey, maybe don't pick up the kitten. Like, I don't think he wants to be happy.

Yeah, like clearly he's showing him, you know, and he got him, you know, on the face. And so my son was like, he just needs some more love. Oh, he said he just needs some more love. And I was like, I Good heart.

Good. I love where your heart's at babe, but I also think he would rip it out if you pick him up again. So maybe don't don't. Well, Haley, Holly, I always say your name and you rarely say my name.

I've felt kind of odd. What's your name again? Who are you? Hello?

Who are we? I have quite the story for you. I'm excited. Yes.

It's a story about a nun. I love nuns. Yeah. Yeah.

I actually almost watched a lot of music today. Oh, you're just a sister act. No, sound of music is my favorite movie. Oh, my.

Okay. Have you ever seen sister act? Yes. One and two.

Oh, there you are. Oh, yes. Yes. Lauren Hill was in two.

She's great. Maggie Smith. Yes. Yes.

Maybe. Maybe. I don't know if she's in Singapore or not. Big thanks, Smith fan.

Yeah. So funny that, you know, it's like of all her. She's great Harry Potter. Great sister act.

Isn't she a dame now? Yes. Yeah. That's a game.

So today we are headed to Wheeling, West Virginia. Ooh. The year was 1977 and the place is a local convent known as Mount St. Joseph's Mother House.

That's a lot to say. Yeah, that's a lot. And that's right. We're going to a convent.

I think you and I would get turned away. You know, probably. I don't know. I think though, like in all seriousness, I think that's such a beautiful thing.

I think someone who can give up, right, essentially everything to God is amazing. I think that's such like a beautiful thing. Actually follow this woman on TikTok who is a nun. Oh, and she like shares.

Right. It's like very strange, very progressive. Yeah. But she like shares her like journey.

Like when she entered, you know, the convent and like shows like the habit and everything and all this stuff and like, you know, it's just like an Wednesday out where they get to leave the convent and go to different places. But it's really cool. I think it's like a neat like maybe in another life, I would have could have done that, but not in this life. No, but another life, maybe in our other life, we were in taverns.

Yeah. Well, maybe the future life. I think it's the future. It's not in our past was tough.

Maybe in the future. I mean, if you if you have listened to our podcast in the last couple of months, you know, we have this whole narrative of what we did in the past life, which was apparently adult drugs and tavern. We shared a strong mattress from mattress at one point. We did a tater sack race and we were hurt and we had to be hospitalized.

There were a lot of things that happened. Yeah. I think we just progressively keep getting maybe better spiritually. I love it.

I think we're just progressively getting better. But I think that's the whole point, right? We've learned lessons from the past that in our next lives just make us better. Yeah.

I like it. I do. It's your Haley. Sister Holly.

Oh, don't you take a new name as a nun? We do. Okay. Let's get into this.

Tell me about this. Oh, the store. Oh, I think my name. I was like Francesca.

Okay. All right. So this convent is where we meet 26 year old, nun in practice, Roberta Elam. Roberta, known as Sister Robin, we talked about changing your name was a candidate to become a nun.

Okay. So she was still in the pre-nun stage. She was. So I'll be honest.

I really didn't know about the process of becoming a nun and what that looks like. And I would assume that you would have to do like classes and take oaths and do trainings and service and all these kinds of things. Because I don't think so I was thinking about this. I don't think you can just knock on the door and say, yeah, and say, hi, I'm celibate.

I love God and I want to join the team. Like I don't just think you can, but you have to think they're like, okay, great. You're going to have to go through all of these things. Right.

It's not they're not going to get handed the habit and being like, well, I mean, talk about a commitment. I mean, you're married to the Lord. Right. You know, like there's some responsibilities and expectations that come with that.

You know, I mean, if he expects that I'm going to wash all his dishes, he's got another thing coming. Right. If it's God, I mean, what am I to if you're married to God? You're doing the dishes.

Heck yeah. You know, I mean gladly for the Lord out expectation. Yeah, out question. Exactly.

Like I'm thinking I'm getting a new pair of shoes, but you know, when you're a nun, like you're hoping to get to heaven. Like there's there's no work. You're working for that. It's just it's so different.

Yeah, it's a whole different way of life. Totally. Totally thinking. I think it's cool.

I do too. I do too. So the question is, who is Sister Robin and how was it that she came to be called to the nunnery because we do believe like it's a calling? Oh, for sure.

It was not for everybody. I could not do it. No, we knocked on the door of the nunnery and they said it was not your calling. No, they threw holy water at us and said we wish you the best.

Yeah. So the cross on your outfit. You got to. I respect it.

I'll see you Sunday. Well, she was born in Minnesota and she grew up for several years there before moving to Illinois. And I'm just going to call her for this purpose, Robins is a Robin. So Robin was the oldest of four children and was raised in the Catholic faith.

The family attended Mass Frequent William was very devout. Robin also had a strong sense of faith and desired to be a nun in order to help make her dreams a reality. Robin attended Marilah College in Missouri. Marilah is a college for women who desire to become nuns.

They have courses based in Catholicism, educating young women on the history of the church, spiritual teaching and biblical principles. Yeah, that sounds like a lot. After graduation in 1973, Robin attended Fort Ham University in Brooklyn, New York. Oh, Fort Ham.

Yeah, Fort Ham is a private Jesuit research university and is very prestigious. It has been around since the 1800s. I assume then you heard it. Yes, I have.

When I was doing a master's in living up there, I knew several people had been to Fort Ham. Really? That's pretty cool. So she completed her schooling there in 1975 and graduates with a master's in theology.

After obtaining her master's, she becomes a member of the Diocese of Wheeling, Charleston in West Virginia. So she's like legit. She's legit. She's like, she didn't just roll up on the nunnery door and was like, you know what I mean?

She's like, I came with education. I came with papers. Like I am here. Not the...

I'm celibate. I love God and I want to join the team. No, she was like, listen, I have been fully educated. Yes, she was ready.

Wow, she was. I mean, she's got more... She's legit. Yeah, now.

So it's here that Robin begins her work throughout the state, educating adults on the Bible and theological principles. She also went to various schools, centers, just everything to kind of get out the message and do some of her work. So those who knew Robin described her as outgoing, friendly, athletic and funny. Robin loved to play and laugh.

Robin wrote poetry and if you're thinking that maybe she was kind of meek, she drove an orange theot convertible. I was gonna say, like, Robin's... She's going to all these schools. She's generally stings.

Like, Robin's legit. She's legit. She is. And she's rocking the orange theot convertible.

What is the world? Absolutely. That's amazing. The communications director for the Diocese of Wheeling Charleston stated that Robin was, quote, a nice young woman who really lived as a Christian, a really attractive, happy woman, end quote.

So Robin seemed to be fun and gay, Jane, attractive. I mean, I gotta say, the orange sports car threw me off her like a little bit. Not here for it. I can't imagine a non-driving, boldly painted hot rod.

Unless we're talking about like, Whoopi Goldberg and stuff. And then that makes sense. That does. I can see that.

Oh, my God. Okay. Her brother stated that she was a normal teen. She was outspoken and opinionated.

He stated that she had actually dated quite a bit. Yeah, before this. So I don't know if dated... I don't know to the extent.

I'm not gonna get into that. But anyway, she was also into sports. She was into social justice and making a difference. So being a nun is more the way to go for her.

Exactly. So she, but actually she wanted to be a priest. Heck yeah, I got a girl. And it angered her that women couldn't be priests.

So she was not like your typical nun by any means. Right. She was like making things happen. She was.

And she was like, let's make change. Like let's do this. I love her. I feel like she's so progressive.

She was in great physical shape and most people stated that she could have sworn off any attacker who came near her. Like she was a tough lady. I feel like I'm gonna be friends. Yeah.

I think she's been awesome. Robin had recently started a retreat. So this retreat is a directed silent retreat where she goes off on her own and spends time in prayer and meditation. This was all part of her nun in practice requirements.

So the goal was to get away from her work and focus on her relationship with God. Ultimately to make sure that this was gonna be a right path for her. I think that when you seek out being a nun because so much of your former life is going to go away and you're gonna give that up, you just have to make sure that this is gonna be something you wanna do for the rest of your life. It's a big decision.

Huge commitment. So I don't know. And I was thinking about this retreat. Like that sounds great.

Yeah, just silence. I would love that. Just like time, intentional time with God. Like that sounds really good.

I think I go for that. Okay, go for that too. Sounds great. Great.

Halene Halene Halene, the nunnery. We'll be there. We're on there. All right.

I don't know if we've been let in. Hello. We're not celibate, but we love God. We'd like to join the team.

I'd like to join. I'm like a Monday through Friday basis. You gotta let us out of the weekend. Yeah, I'm kind of busy on the weekend.

Yeah. I'm like Monday through Friday from the hours of 9 to 5. I'm yours. Can I get a babysitter for my child because I need also to attend him?

So many nuns with children. I don't know. Let's go ahead and say they're gonna be like nah. Celibate lifestyle.

Yeah. On June 13th, 1977, Sister Robin's Day began with Silent Prayer and Meditation to contemplate taking her vows to become a nun. Shortly after her morning meditation, she met with her mentor and spiritual advisor, Peggy Perry. When meeting with Peggy, Robin was able to share her meditation and prayers just sort of seeking some guidance and support.

Robin was struggling with whether or not she would continue to be a nun. She wasn't sure if this was like the life that she was called for. And she even asked a fellow nun in training, how would you feel if I left? Her friend was very encouraging and just said, you've got to do whatever is best for you.

Which I appreciate. So she wasn't being pushed one way or the other. Everybody understood what a commitment this was, so they weren't trying to force her unnecessarily to stay. A day prior to going into the retreat, Robin told that same friend that she had something on her mind.

And the friend might think she was crazy if she said it. The friend was like, just say it. I don't think you would be crazy. Just tell me whatever it is.

And the friend was a little bit concerned because it seemed like something was really wane on Robin. But Robin was like, no, no, I'm just never mind. She'll just think, no, I'm just not going to say it. So the conversation ended, but it ended very uneasy.

Always say it. Just always say it to what it is. To at least one person. Haley, I don't think you should become a nun.

I said it. Okay. It's fine. I don't either.

Me neither. Okay. We're not going to the nobody. After speaking with Peggy, Robin took a jog around the ground.

So, like I said, she was very physically fit and she liked to keep her body in shape. So she often would jog around 10 30 that morning. Robin grabbed an apple from the Convence kitchen and walked up the hill to a field behind Mount St. Joseph's mother house.

So where it sat, Mount St. Joseph's convent, there was like a field behind it, but also across the street. There was a golf course. Oh, and like a country club golf course.

So it's all amongst all these trees and what's beautiful, beautiful area. I googled it. The field was about 75 yards away from the convent and like I mentioned, was surrounded by really tall trees. So essentially it was carved out among this enclave.

So it was there that Robin sat at a bench and began her quiet reflection. It is believed that a short time after Robin sat on the bench, a man attacked Robin from behind and had enough strength to pull her up and over the bench. It is believed that when he did so, the bench was knocked over. Oh, no.

It's important to note here that while this area is somewhat remote, the bench did face the Shvidell Golf Course and Ogleby Park. So there was potential for someone to see what was going on from the top of the hill. Robin was moved about 50 feet away on a sloping section of ground amidst the open field. This was approximately 200 yards away from the mother house.

At 150 that afternoon, some three hours after Robin had been seen, a groundskeeper was walking through the field when they discovered the overturned bench. After walking several feet into the field, they discovered a female laying on her back with her shirt torn and her bra pushed up towards her neck. Her pants and underwear were pulled down to her ankles. Immediately, the groundskeeper called the police.

When police from the Ohio County Sheriff's Department arrived and began assessing the scene, they interviewed those golfers from across the hill and asked that they saw or heard anything. No one had. The victim was identified pretty early on as Robin. Investigators estimate the crime happened between 11 a.m.

and 1 p.m. Robin had been dressed in street clothing rather than a nun's habit, so there wasn't anything readily identifying her as a nun. In case that was the reason for the attack. Police noticed that some of her clothing had been removed and what she did have on was pretty disheveled.

A prayer book and a bag belonging to Sister Robin was found next to the bench, but no other items were found. Some tall grass near the tree line appeared to have been disturbed, but nothing else. There was no other sign of like there were footprints or anything like that. Robin was deceased and it appeared her cause of death was manual strangulation.

It was also believed based on her semi-new appearance that perhaps Robin had been raped. The police interviewed nuns at the convent who stated the last time they saw Robin was that morning when she grabbed an apple and walked up the hill. They do recall hearing loud voices but assumed it was the golfers across the street. It was only later that they recalled that the voice was very high-pitched.

Investigators also interviewed those at the golf course again, but they said we didn't hear anything. Anybody who was out on the course during that time they talked to and nobody had heard or seen anything. An autopsy confirmed that Robin had been sexually assaulted and revealed that she also had been menstruating at the time of the attack. This is going to be really important to note.

The coroner was able to establish that Robin was menstruating due to a tampon that remained inside during Robin's attack. The acting coroner indicated that there were bruises on Robin's neck, throat and legs, but she did not appear to have any defensive wounds on her hands. Which sounds weird because as we talked about she was like in good shape and probably would have fought back. So just saying that investigators began to suspect that maybe her assailant had incapacitated her prior to dragging her into the field.

So maybe put something over her mouth or somehow knocked her unconscious to be able to move her. The coroner was able to disprove this theory though because if someone had come up behind her it would have been really different because what they found was large thumbprints on the front of her neck. So it's believed that someone came up and got her by the neck in front. Yeah.

Yeah. Hailey's trying not to not on me. She's just figurically trying it. Yeah.

Makes sense. If you came up with something behind your thumbs would be on the back. Yeah. It would be your fingers on the front.

Although, although if someone pulled you up and over the bench and the bench was knocked over, not forwards but backwards. Right. It seems to me like if manual strangulation your thumbs would be on the front of her neck. So it doesn't mean that the first point of attack hit you in the front.

I still believe he came out of her neck. Yeah. He grabbed her, pulled her over and then you know. Strangled her.

Yeah. So anyway, it's very strange. So did she know her assailant? That's one of the questions to think about.

So if he attacked her from the front she would have seen him coming. She could have put up more of a fight. And so I agree with this getting her, you know, while she was in meditation and prayer. Police use bloodhounds to assist with a search for evidence but the efforts did not yield any other clues.

On June 15th, 1977 a massive resurrection was held for Sister Robin at Mount St. Joseph's convent. The diocese of Wheeling Charleston was in attendance and a eulogy was delivered by a pastor from local West Liberty College. He stated in part, quote, a terrible thing has happened which cannot be twisted by logic.

We stand numb, drained, our faith is battered. Mm-hmm. Definitely. Who would want to do this to, like, a nun and maybe not knowing she was an un- Right.

But still, who would want to do it? Please focus their attention on an Atlanta-based salvage crew. This crew was made up of four men who had been working in Wheeling for the last couple of months. Investigators were drawn to the men after hearing from the nuns that Robin had run in with them a few days prior to her murder.

Apparently, she told those at the convent that one of the men had been harassing and had had words with her. They were using foul language and appeared intimidating. She stated, quote, they had filthy mouths, end quote. And it was obscene how they were speaking to her.

The men were thoroughly interviewed but determined not to have anything to do with their murders, nor did their cars end up matching description of what you will hear eyewitnesses saw. So get into that. Please also suspected that it could be the work of a serial killer. Around this time, some 25 miles away in Pennsylvania, four women were found dead.

They had also been sexually assaulted and strangled. Wow. So Pennsylvania police traveled to Wheeling to compare notes on their cases. While there appeared to be many similarities in the case, it was determined that modus operandi, which is Latin for characteristics of an established method of doing something.

Yeah. Between Robin's murder and the murders in Pennsylvania were not by the same perpetrator. And this was largely due to the fact that in Pennsylvania, the victims had been strangled by articles of their own clothing that was removed from their bodies. So police were like, I mean, close, but feels different.

Yeah. Yeah. So police ended up making a public statement that the crimes were not related. Investigators felt that whomever committed this crime knew the area.

They knew that there would be enough tree coverage to commit this offense without being seen by those of the convent or at the golf course. Police looked into a local man by the name of John Shoplack. Yeah. What do you mean?

He had been accused of raping two girls prior to this. Who he had also been convicted of robbing his grandmother. Here's the piece that's interesting. In order to get the ring off her finger, he cut her finger off.

Not grandma's finger. Not grandma's finger. I mean, that's pretty desperate for a ring. Yeah.

He also wrapped a telephone cord around her neck to keep him quiet while he cut her finger off. Yes. So this is not a guy who's on the up and up. Right.

If you're cutting off grandma's finger. It's in. Whoa. Yeah.

Like, let the arthritis get her man. Not doing. Not. Not.

Not for fingers. Not for the crazy. His girlfriend came into the police station stating that Shoplack had admitted to killing a nun. Yeah.

She claimed that- Just a current girlfriend to her. Well, ex-girlfriends. Yes. They're currently- Yes.

Not together. Not together anymore. Yeah. Where are they together for the grandma thing?

I don't know. He had done prison time for that, so I don't think so. I think it was after he got out of prison. I don't know if I could get with a guy who cut off his grandma's finger.

No. I feel like that's not a question I ever thought I had to ask. No. But now I feel like I asked it.

That's one of the questions. Like, have you ever cut off your grandfather's finger? You're just a nipping another. I'm just a nipping another.

And just ask that question. I will. I will see what he says. We'll just blindly.

I'm just gonna say, hey, weird question. He's probably gonna say, what? Where are you getting this from? And you said, Holly told me.

I think he should. Weird question. Holly wants to know. Yeah.

Holly wants to know. No. What do I get the blame? I'm just gonna say, have you ever cut off your hand off finger?

He's going to say, what is wrong? He's gonna ask me if I'm drunk. And you're gonna say no. I'm gonna say no.

I'm having a water with Holly. Your question, I've never cut off your crib. He's gonna be so upset. Okay.

Listen. I just want you all to know. I'm not trying to ruin Haley's relationship. She might be trying that.

I didn't tell her to do that just to you. And if you're listening to this podcast, I'm so sorry. For all the things. Okay.

He's gonna be, I just can imagine him breathing this going what? The heck. Yeah. He has a lot of questions.

He has many questions. And we don't have the answers unfortunately, but one thing is, how would you feel if I went into the nunnery? There's another one. Also.

he's gonna run. He does feel if I joined the content and he came on that. He's gonna think you're drunk for sure. Absolutely.

Okay. Okay. So the girlfriend or the ex-girlfriend in this case says that John, shoplack, states that he came up behind this nun and strangled her with his belt, which we know is not true. Right?

Not true. Because she was strangled with someone's bare hands. But I mean some of it's like, okay, so this seemed like one of those notoriety confessions though, you know, like one of those things like, oh yeah, I'm gonna go tell the police that's happened blah blah blah blah. Well, here's another piece that's really interesting.

So the girlfriend says that her boyfriend John states, quote, she must have either been a virgin or been on the rag because there was a lot of blood. So on the rag is an old term when women were menstruating, they used to say they're on the rag because there weren't pads like we have to have and tampons and stuff. So they used to use rags. Actually my grandma used rags.

And so that term on the rag means period, which is something that's interesting because the police had never released that information. Interesting. Yeah, had never released it. Huh, but he got the strangulation part wrong.

Yeah, that's weird. It is weird. His girlfriend stated that shoplack had choked her once and so she was done and she decided to break up with him in May of 1977, which was a month before this crime happened. She also stated that he hated Catholics.

If she were in like street civilian clothing, how would he have known she was a nun? Unless maybe he watched her come from the convent. I don't know. I really think they knew her from the convent.

Maybe had met her at one of her teaching. Like outreach thing. Yeah, community outreach. Yeah.

So we had a lot of potential motives here and he knew something not released to the public, which is like that's weird. That is a weird thing to say. Shoplack had been in the military and his blood type was on record. So you know, back in the 70s, there was no DNA.

All they had was like blood typing. So what they did is they took the evidence that they had gotten from Robin that didn't match her blood and they were like, okay, so this is the perpetrator's blood and they cross match them. Unfortunately, it was not a match. It was not a match.

Yes. The community was pretty horrified. They were like, if a nun can be horribly murdered in this way, it could happen to any of us who's going to be next. We're not safe.

All these things. The state police asked the citizens of the community for help finding the perpetrator of this crime. They stated that all tips would be treated as highly confidential. This appeal proved effective because a few witnesses came forward.

Witnesses described seeing a car like we had mentioned on the north side of the convent. The car was described as a two-door 1969 gray-blue Chevy Impala with several religious bumper stickers. The car had rust all over the body, dense and shipping paint. The vehicle did not appear in good condition.

The car had West Virginia license plates and there were three bumper stickers which included one about coal mining and the other two were religious. One was a sticker that had Jesus written on it and the other were praying hands. So if shoplack hated Catholics and hated Catholicism, it seems unlikely that he would have a lot of these religious fixtures on his car. It seems like kind of a stretch.

It is a stretch. One of the witnesses stated that there were religious pamphlets sitting in the back window of the car. Unless she had been giving these things out. He was like, she's the one, I don't know, he became obsessed with her maybe.

I don't know. Again, this speaks to someone who lived in the area because why would you have a coal mining from a sticker? Right, and coal mining is like hand in hand. So witnesses reported seeing the car in the area as far back as October of 1976, so some eight months before the crime.

Three witnesses were able to give a description of the man driving. They stated that he was a white male with dark hair and eyes. He appeared to be in his 30s with average height around 5'10 and weighing 160 pounds. He was unkempt and unshaven.

His hair was shaggy and covered over his ears. He had a beard and appeared to be wearing jeans and a denim jacket. That's pretty good for these witnesses. A witness had seen this man park his car north of the convent and walk up a hill towards the trees around 1030, 11.

A sketch of this man was released to the public in August of 1977 and I've got to say, this sketch kind of looks like a werewolf. Oh no. He's like super shaggy and just like, like he just came out of the woods right there. Very unkempt.

Yeah. Did you give any follow up to that? I did. Sorry, I'll take a quick minute.

Take a quick. He said to the first question, have you ever cut off a grim string? He said, number one, no, I'm still alive. And then I asked about the convent and then he said, too, I'll have some questions about the cultiness of the convent, but I can live with it.

I like that. Yeah, it's all the answers. Yeah, I appreciate it. I want to say good answers.