Woman Charged in Husband’s Death Decades Later

(ConservativeHub.com) – Statutes of limitations often present barriers to the prosecution of crimes. But these time limits don’t generally apply in murder cases. Investigators in Pennsylvania never gave up trying to find answers about a questionable death from 1987. Thanks to their diligence, 76-year-old Judith Jarvis is now in custody for the alleged murder of her husband.

On August 10, 1987, officers found Carl Jarvis dead. He was lying unclothed on the floor in the bedroom of the home he shared with his wife in Millerstown, Pennsylvania. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head that entered from the back and exited in the front. Officers found the .22 caliber weapon used on the bed nearby. An autopsy revealed he had a BAC of .13% but determined his death was not a suicide. The coroner officially ruled a homicide as the cause.

Judith Jarvis initially told investigators blood on her pajamas was from a goose bite, but new DNA technology ruled out that explanation. https://t.co/0gOC0gt8CB

— True Crime Daily (@CrimeWatchDaily) December 14, 2022

The victim’s wife, Judith Ann Jarvis, had called the police that evening, claiming her husband was being destructive. When officers showed up, she was outside the residence and told them she had not been back in the house.

After authorities found her husband’s body, they began asking her more questions. When questioned about blood on her clothing, she said it was hers and came from an injury caused by a goose.

Unfortunately, at that time, they didn’t have access to the tools they needed to show the blood on her pajamas belonged to the victim. Still, they didn’t give up, and in October 2020, they ran DNA testing, finally securing proof to build a case against her.

Perry County District Attorney Lauren Eichelberger and Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Daryl Vankirk announced the arrest of Judith Jarvis at a press conference on December 13. She is facing murder charges, which will carry the possibility of the death penalty, and is currently in the Cumberland County Prison. The court didn’t grant her bail, and she’ll return to court on December 23.