Jean Shrader, 26 years old, was murdered on October 22, 1981, in Columbus, Ohio. Her body was discovered in a stairwell on the fifth floor of a downtown parking garage. An eyewitness reported seeing a man drag a woman's body from a car into the stairwell that night, but by the time the police arrived, the perpetrator had fled the scene. The autopsy later revealed that Jean had been strangled, likely using a thin rope or wire, indicating a deliberate and violent act.
The case drew significant attention, not only because of the tragic nature of the murder but also due to the ensuing legal battle over insurance claims. Jean's husband, John J. Shrader, came under immediate suspicion, largely because of red marks found on his hands shortly after the incident, which her parents believed were evidence of the crime. Despite this suspicion, there was never enough solid evidence to charge John Shrader with her murder. In 1983, John filed a claim for over $100,000 in life insurance benefits. Jean’s parents countersued, arguing that he was responsible for her death and therefore should not receive the insurance proceeds. The resulting legal battle, known as the "civil murder trial," ultimately concluded in favor of Jean's parents, determining that John had unlawfully caused his wife's death.
Despite the civil ruling, the Franklin County prosecutor's office did not pursue criminal charges against John Shrader due to a lack of sufficient evidence. In a separate development, John Shrader was later convicted of perjury and bribery related to the case, including an incident where a witness recanted their statement after being offered money by John. He was sentenced to six years in prison for these offenses, but the criminal aspects of Jean's murder remain officially unsolved. The Columbus Police Department still seeks information that could bring new leads to this longstanding unsolved homicide.
