A young mother and daughter are found slain outside of their Pennslyvania home
In the quiet town of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a horrific discovery shattered the community's sense of peace. On September 2, 1994, 5-year-old Tamara Berkheiser and her 23-year-old mother, Gail Matthews, were found murdered in their home on Center Street. The last time anyone had seen them alive was the evening of September 1, 1994. When Gail's mother, Lois Beackley, couldn't reach her daughter by phone the next day, she went to the house with a friend to check on them, stumbling upon a scene of unimaginable horror.
Inside Tamara's bedroom, the two were found together on the child's bed. Gail had been stabbed nearly a dozen times, and Tamara had been strangled with a piece of cloth and struck on the head. There were no signs of sexual assault, and robbery did not appear to be a motive as nothing was taken from the home. Investigators noted that a kitchen window had been forced open, suggesting a possible point of entry for the killer. The home was surprisingly tidy, leading Gail's brother to believe the perpetrator may have attempted to clean up after the murders.
The investigation into the brutal slayings has been a long and frustrating journey for the family. In March 1998, a man named Earl Kramer III, who had been dating Gail's neighbor at the time of the murders, was arrested and charged with the killings. However, the charges were dismissed due to a lack of sufficient evidence. Kramer was arrested again in 2004, but was ultimately released for the same reason, leaving the case to go cold once more.
Despite the passage of time, the family of Gail Matthews and Tamara Berkheiser has never given up hope for justice. They have held annual vigils to keep the memory of their loved ones alive and to ensure the public does not forget this unsolved crime. They continue to plead for anyone with information to come forward, holding onto the belief that one day, the person responsible for this devastating loss will be held accountable. The case remains an open investigation.
