In a quiet corner of Arcadia, Pennsylvania, the life of 50-year-old Ellwood Skillman was brought to a sudden and violent end. In May of 2016, Skillman was shot to death while he slept. The act was not a random one, but rather a calculated decision fueled by simmering resentment.
The man responsible for Skillman's death was 61-year-old David Yingling. According to state police, Yingling confessed to the killing, stating that he had grown tired of Skillman repeatedly insulting his brother.
This persistent taunting allegedly drove Yingling to enter Skillman's upstairs bedroom and shoot him with both a shotgun and a rifle.
For days, Skillman's body remained undiscovered in the home. The grim truth only came to light when a Cherry Tree police officer, who was working a security detail at a local high school, received a tip about the killing. Acting on this information, state troopers went to Yingling's Montgomery Township residence, where they found Skillman deceased.
Faced with the discovery of the body, Yingling reportedly admitted his guilt to the authorities, explaining his motive and the deadly actions he had taken. He was subsequently taken into custody and jailed in Indiana County on a charge of criminal homicide. Following his arrest, Yingling expressed uncertainty about what to do with the body, a chilling testament to the finality of his actions.
