Pennsylvania Woman Charged With Her Husband's 1987 Murder

Judith Jarvis of Pennsylvania has been charged with the murder of her husband, Carl Jarvis, who was found shot to death in August 1987.

Jarvis reportedly made a 911 call regarding a domestic dispute just after midnight on August 10, 1987. She told officers that her husband was breaking things and she was scared. Officers attempted to make contact with Carl, but could not find him, according to Your Erie.

When troopers found him, he was found inside a bedroom naked with two gunshot wounds to his head. Only Judith and Carl Jarvis were home, but she told police multiple times that she did not kill her husband.

The Perry County Coroner determined Jarvis was shot in the head with a .22 caliber gun. The revolver was found at the scene.

The case eventually went cold until 2019 when Troopers Kyle Tobin and Trisha Campbell were assigned to the case. Together, they resubmitted blood evidence which was found on Jarvis’ pajama pants in 2020. They also obtained Carl Jarvis’ hair and match it to the blood on her pants.

Jarvis initially told investigators the blood on her pants was from a goose bite, according to WPXI. During a 2021 interview, she claimed that the blood was hers, and told them she did not kill her husband. She also explained that her husband threw a coffee pot towards her the day of the murder, but he did not hit her.

Jarvis, now 76, was arrested Tuesday and charged with one count of murder. Her bail was denied and is housed in the Cumberland County Prison.