Mary Jane Fonder | Churchgoer Stalks Pastor Before Killing Secretary

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[00:00:22] Shopify to ignite their selling. Sign up for a $1. Mary Jane had one older brother. When she was eight years old, her family purchased a cabin on 11 acres in Springfield Township, Pennsylvania. This is in Bucks County, about an hour and a half north of Philadelphia. In 1981, her parents relocated to Springfield Township, but Mary Jane stayed in Philadelphia.

[00:01:44] She worked for many different places, including a coworker at a Denny's restaurant. Mary Jane was fired as a result. She purchased a Rossi M68 38 caliber revolver that same day. The timing of the purchase is consistent with the idea that Mary Jane may have

[00:03:01] been thinking about unleashing a grand slam symptoms. The temporary job at the church was a great boost to her self-esteem and signaled that she was functioning better. Rhonda was extremely grateful for the opportunity and even thanked the entire congregation during a service.

[00:04:21] Many people thought that Rhonda was making progress with her symptoms.

[00:04:25] Despite this optimism, Rhonda was still struggling quite a bit in her life.

[00:05:24] murder weapon was found at the crime scene. The police did not know exactly when the murder occurred, but Ronda normally used the computer in the church office. All activity on that

[00:05:30] computer stopped at 10.54 a.m. The police thought that Ronda's risky behavior of dating

[00:05:36] married men may have caused a betrayed lover to kill her. It was also possible that this

[00:05:41] was a robbery gone bad. No clear that on the day of the murder, she was getting her hair cut in nearby Quakertown. The police went to the salon and examined the sign-in log. Mary Jane signed in at 11 22 a.m.

[00:07:02] The driving time from the church to the salon was 14 minutes,

[00:08:04] something that was not supported by the evidence. The police specifically asked Mary Jane about her 38-caliber revolver. She told them that she no longer had the weapon. She had thrown it into a

[00:08:10] lake the same year she purchased it, 1994. Mary Jane offered two different reasons for this unusual

[00:08:17] decision. Number one, she was afraid of the weapon. She fired it and could not cope with its power.

[00:08:24] Number two, the woman who Mary Jane had purchased in 1994. Tests indicated it was the weapon used to kill Rhonda Smith. On April 1, 2008, Mary Jane Fonder was arrested for the murder of Rhonda Smith. Her trial started on October 21, 2008. On October 30, Mary Jane's guilt has been removed. Mary Jane Fonder died of cardiac arrest on June 4, 2018, at the age of 75. Now moving to my analysis. Here are my thoughts on a few areas that stood out to me in this case. Item number one. Mary Jane suffered from mental health symptoms starting from a young age.

[00:11:01] When she was eight years old, she had what was described as an emotional breakdown. Edward wander away given his severe mobility problems. Maybe somebody picked him up in a vehicle, but who would do that and why? A physician stated that Edward could not survive ten days without his medication. The police found the body of a dog in Mary Jane's freezer. The dog died from an overdose of medication used to treat diabetes. When talking about

[00:12:22] her father's disappearance, Mary Jane told the police to know for certain Item number three Mary Jane initially found prison to be extremely unpleasant, but eventually she adapted to the environment Surprisingly well, she lost 50 pounds and her health improved dramatically. It wasn't all pleasant

[00:13:40] However, Mary Jane was plagued by repeated nightmares where Rhonda Smith would appear to her

[00:13:45] I imagine this was mostly because of the murder part

[00:14:42] back and forth between idealizing and devaluing potential romantic partners.

[00:14:45] She also had traits of vulnerable narcissism,

[00:14:48] like being vindictive, insecure, and self-centered.

[00:14:52] Mary Jane could not tolerate any competition.

[00:14:55] Instead of empathizing with Rhonda Smith,

[00:14:58] a woman who also had mental health symptoms,

[00:15:00] Mary Jane became jealous.

[00:15:02] She falsely believed that Rhonda was

[00:15:03] romantically involved with the pastor.

[00:15:06] Mary Jane also falsely believed that she herself