On January 7, 1978, 54-year-old male steelworker John Shelkons, of Lithuanian descent, was murdered in his home in Baden, Pennsylvania. The attack occurred in the early hours of the morning, in a ranch-style house located on McNair Street, which sat at the end of a dead-end road near the woods. His wife, 48-year-old Catherine Shelkons, of Italian descent, was also brutally assaulted but survived.
The couple had three children, and their daughter's unexpected return home may have interrupted the assailant and prevented further harm.
The intruder entered through a locked cellar door and ascended into the home. He shot John Shelkons at close range, killing him instantly. The victim collapsed against the couch where his wife was sleeping. Catherine awoke to find her husband dead and was confronted by the attacker, who wore gloves, a flannel shirt, jeans, and a bandana over his face. She initially misidentified him as white, though he was later confirmed to be Black. When she refused to leave with him, he beat her severely, striking her with a telephone and kicking her in the face, breaking her nose. He placed his foot on her throat before fleeing, likely startled by the arrival of their daughter and her fiancé.
The murder of John Shelkons, a 54-year-old male of Lithuanian ethnicity, was part of a disturbing pattern of killings in southwestern Pennsylvania during the late 1970s. The region was gripped by fear due to a series of unsolved murders, many involving shotgun killings and assaults on couples. This wave of violence was later attributed to Edward Surratt, a long-haul trucker from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, who became known as the “Shotgun Killer.”
Surratt was arrested in Florida on July 1, 1978, after breaking into a home and assaulting a family. He was convicted of multiple crimes in Florida and South Carolina and sentenced to life in prison. Although he was suspected in numerous Pennsylvania murders, including that of John Shelkons, he was not prosecuted for them at the time due to his existing life sentences.
In 2007, Surratt confessed to several killings in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Then, in 2021, he formally admitted to six Pennsylvania murders, including the killing of John Shelkons, during an interview with Pennsylvania State Police. Authorities confirmed his involvement but chose not to pursue charges, citing the risks and logistical challenges of transporting a convicted killer already serving multiple life sentences. His confession brought long-awaited closure to the Shelkons family, though the emotional scars remain.
