Elizabeth Shank, a 28-year-old Caucasian woman, was tragically murdered on March 9, 1976, during a robbery at a convenience store in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. She was working as a clerk when she was shot five times in the head.
The perpetrators were identified as Jeffrey Joseph Daugherty and his accomplice, Bonnie Jean Heath. Daugherty, who was 20 years old at the time, and Heath, who was 41, were involved in a multi-state crime spree that included several robberies and murders. They were apprehended on March 12, 1976, in Virginia following an armed robbery in that state. At the time of their arrest, they were traveling in a vehicle that contained the handgun used in the murder of George Karnes, an 18-year-old service station attendant killed in Duncansville, Pennsylvania, on March 11, 1976.
Daugherty was convicted of first-degree murder for his role in the killing of Elizabeth Shank and received a life sentence. Heath was convicted of robbery and conspiracy but was acquitted of the homicide charge in Shank's case. Their crime spree extended beyond Pennsylvania; in Florida, they were responsible for the murders of Lavonne Patricia Sailer, Carmen Abrams, and Betty Campbell. Daugherty received life sentences for the murders of Abrams and Campbell and was sentenced to death for the murder of Sailer.
Daugherty was executed in Florida's electric chair on November 7, 1988, at the age of 33. In his final statement, he expressed hope that his execution would be the last and criticized the justice system. Heath was released from prison on July 10, 1987, after serving time for her involvement in the crimes.
