In the quiet community of Dauphin, Pennsylvania, a tragedy unfolded on Friday, September 27, 2019, shattering the peace of a late autumn day. Nancy L. Parthemore, a 50-year-old female, was found deceased in her home, a place that should have been a sanctuary. The devastating discovery was made by law enforcement who were responding to a request for a welfare check at the residence located on the 1800 block of Towpath Road in Middle Paxton Township.
Upon entering the home, troopers were
met with a grim scene. Nancy, along with her 30-year-old daughter, Kari Ann Parthemore, were found, both having sustained apparent gunshot wounds. The family's dog was also discovered shot and killed, adding another layer of sorrow to the already heartbreaking situation. The initial shock and grief that rippled through the neighborhood were soon followed by an intense investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
As Pennsylvania State Police, with the assistance of the Dauphin County Coroner's Office and the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office, delved into the case, the preliminary findings began to suggest a deeply personal and contained tragedy. The investigation led authorities to believe that the deaths of Nancy and Kari Parthemore were the result of a murder-suicide. While the specific details of what transpired within the walls of their home remain a private sorrow for their loved ones, authorities assured the public that there was no ongoing danger to the community. An autopsy was scheduled for early the following week to officially determine the cause and manner of death for both women.
Nancy, born in Harrisburg to the late George and Mary Parthemore, was remembered as a custodian at Harrisburg Area Community College. Her life, and that of her daughter Kari, who worked as an administrative Office Technician in the Public Safety & Security Department at the same college, were tragically cut short. The community was left to mourn the loss of two of its own, a mother and daughter whose lives ended in a manner that defied easy explanation, leaving behind a legacy of unanswered questions and profound grief for their surviving family and friends.
