On a remote property in Latah, Idaho, the life of 44-year-old Donna Fontaine came to a tragic and violent end on May 29, 1999. A female, she was accompanied by her boyfriend, 59-year-old Fred Palahniuk, who also lost his life that day. The couple had been at a festival in the nearby town of Kendrick with Donna's brother earlier. Upon his return to the property he shared with his sister, he discovered a garage they had been building was ablaze.
Firefighters were called to the scene to
extinguish the fire that had fully engulfed the structure. In the aftermath of the blaze, the remains of two bodies were discovered and later identified as Donna Fontaine and Fred Palahniuk. It was soon determined that the fire was no accident, but rather a deliberate act of arson. Autopsies revealed a more sinister truth: both victims had been shot to death before the fire was set. Donna had suffered shotgun wounds to the chest and neck, while Fred had been fatally shot in the chest.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to Donna's ex-husband, Dale Carter Shackelford. At the time of the murders, Shackelford was facing rape charges that had been filed by Donna in Missouri following their divorce. Prosecutors contended that Shackelford's motive for the killings was to prevent Donna from testifying against him in the rape case, for which he faced a potential sentence of 30 years to life in prison.
Dale Shackelford was ultimately arrested and, in December 2000, a jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, as well as arson and conspiracy charges. He was later sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison. The investigation also revealed a wider conspiracy, leading to the arrest of Shackelford's then-fiancée, Sonja Abitz, and her mother, Mary Abitz, who were charged as co-conspirators in the murders and arson.
