Steven Patrick Rebert: Convicted Double Murderer and Suspected Serial Killer
Background
Steven Patrick Rebert was born in 1965 and grew up in the Oakfield area of western New York. As an adult, he lived in several communities in Pennsylvania, including Coudersport and Emporium. He worked for a time in the telecommunications industry and was familiar with rural areas across northern Pennsylvania and western New York.
Rebert became the focus of a major homicide investigation after an elderly married couple was found murdered inside their home near Brockway, Pennsylvania, in April 2010. The evidence collected during that investigation led not only to his conviction for the couple’s deaths but also to renewed scrutiny of two previously unsolved shootings in western New York.
Although Rebert was convicted of murdering two people during the same criminal episode, investigators identified him as the prime suspect or a person of interest in two additional killings separated by several years. Those suspicions caused him to be described as a possible serial killer. He has not, however, been convicted of the New York homicides, and those cases must be distinguished from the Pennsylvania murders proven in court.
The Murders of Wayne and Vicky Shugar
James Wayne Shugar and his wife, Victoria “Vicky” Shugar, both 61, lived along Coal Tipple Road in Snyder Township near Brockway, Pennsylvania. The couple operated a flower shop and were well known in the surrounding community. Wayne Shugar had also worked as a foreman at a glass manufacturing plant before retiring.
During the weekend of April 10 and April 11, 2010, someone entered the Shugars’ residence and shot both victims multiple times. Their bodies were discovered inside the home on April 12. The condition of the scene showed that the killings were connected to a burglary and robbery rather than an accidental confrontation.
Investigators determined that money and collectible currency had been taken from the residence. The Shugars were known to possess unusual coins and paper currency, some of which they collected or gave as gifts. Police later found currency in Rebert’s possession that closely matched the types associated with the victims.
Evidence also showed that internet searches concerning collectible currency were conducted on Rebert’s computer shortly after the period in which the murders occurred. Investigators viewed those searches as significant because they suggested that someone was attempting to determine the nature or value of property taken from the Shugar home.
One of the most damaging pieces of physical evidence was blood discovered on Rebert’s boots. Testing connected the blood to the victims. Prosecutors also presented testimony from a jail inmate who claimed that Rebert had discussed the killings while in custody. Although the defense challenged the credibility of the inmate, the prosecution argued that the testimony was supported by independent physical and circumstantial evidence.
Arrest and Investigation
Rebert was arrested in Genesee County, New York, on June 3, 2010, and transferred to Pennsylvania. Authorities charged him with two counts of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary, robbery and theft.
Searches of Rebert’s residence, computer and personal property produced evidence that prosecutors said directly connected him to the Shugars. The case did not rest on a single clue. Instead, the prosecution assembled a combination of blood evidence, stolen or suspicious currency, computer activity, witness testimony and Rebert’s familiarity with the victims and the surrounding area.
Prosecutors argued that Rebert deliberately went to the Shugar residence to steal property and killed the couple to prevent identification or resistance. The multiple gunshot wounds suffered by both victims were presented as evidence of an intentional and calculated attack.
Trial and Conviction
Rebert’s trial was held in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, in January 2012. On January 24, 2012, the jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and the related offenses of burglary, robbery, aggravated assault and theft.
The prosecution sought the death penalty. During the sentencing phase, however, jurors were unable to reach the unanimous agreement required to impose a death sentence. On January 30, 2012, Rebert received four life sentences without the possibility of parole—one sentence for each first-degree and second-degree murder conviction associated with the deaths of Wayne and Vicky Shugar.
Rebert appealed his convictions and argued that errors had occurred during the investigation and trial. Pennsylvania appellate courts rejected his claims and upheld the judgment. Later attempts to obtain post-conviction relief were also unsuccessful.
Suspected Murder of Bill Fickel
Rebert’s arrest in Pennsylvania drew the attention of authorities in Genesee County, New York, where the 2005 murder of William “Bill” Fickel remained unsolved. Fickel, 46, lived in Oakfield, the same community where Rebert had once resided.
On the evening of November 10, 2005, Fickel was outside his home when he was shot with a rifle. He suffered gunshot wounds to his arm and chest or heart area and died near the front of the residence. His wife was inside preparing dinner when the shooting occurred.
The killing initially appeared sudden and difficult to explain. Fickel’s family described the attack as an apparently senseless act, and the case was later publicized nationally in an effort to generate leads. No immediate arrest was made.
After Rebert was charged with the Pennsylvania murders, Genesee County investigators identified him as a person of interest and later described him as the principal suspect in Fickel’s death. Authorities said Rebert knew Fickel, and information recovered during the Pennsylvania investigation reportedly strengthened their interest in him.
Officials publicly stated that they believed sufficient evidence existed to consider prosecuting Rebert, but no New York murder conviction followed. Fickel’s family continued to seek a trial and a definitive judicial resolution of the case.
Suspected Murder of Kevin Smith
Rebert was also investigated in connection with the death of Kevin M. Smith, 47, in Orleans County, New York. Smith lived in the Town of Shelby and had previously resided in Clarence Center.
On February 7, 2007, Smith was found shot to death inside his Shelby residence. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The isolated crime scene and the absence of an obvious suspect left investigators with a difficult homicide case.
Authorities later learned that Rebert had known Smith or had some form of prior connection to him. Investigators also reported finding information on Rebert’s computer that they believed related to Smith’s murder. Following Rebert’s arrest for the Shugar killings, Orleans County officials classified him as a person of interest and later referred to him as a prime suspect.
Despite the investigative attention, Rebert was never convicted of killing Smith. The case remained legally unresolved, and any claim that he committed the murder remains an allegation rather than an established fact.
Confirmed and Suspected Victims
- William “Bill” Fickel, 46 — November 10, 2005 — Oakfield, Genesee County, New York: Shot with a rifle outside or near the front of his home. Rebert knew Fickel and was later identified by investigators as a person of interest and prime suspect. Rebert has not been convicted in this case.
- Kevin M. Smith, 47 — February 7, 2007 — Shelby, Orleans County, New York: Found inside his residence with multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators said Rebert had a connection to Smith and reportedly found computer evidence that caused them to investigate him. Rebert has not been convicted in this case.
- James Wayne Shugar, 61 — April 10 or April 11, 2010 — Snyder Township near Brockway, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania: Shot multiple times inside the home he shared with his wife. His body was discovered on April 12, 2010. Rebert was convicted of first-degree and second-degree murder.
- Victoria “Vicky” Shugar, 61 — April 10 or April 11, 2010 — Snyder Township near Brockway, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania: Shot multiple times inside her home during the same robbery and burglary in which her husband was killed. Her body was discovered on April 12, 2010. Rebert was convicted of first-degree and second-degree murder.
Possible Serial-Killer Classification
Rebert’s confirmed convictions involve two victims killed at the same location during one continuous criminal episode. Standing alone, those convictions would ordinarily classify him as a double murderer rather than a serial killer.
The possible serial-killer designation arises from the unsolved deaths of Fickel and Smith. Those men were killed in separate shootings in 2005 and 2007, followed by the Shugar murders in 2010. If Rebert were proven responsible for all four deaths, the killings would involve multiple criminal events separated by substantial periods of time and occurring in two states.
There are also similarities among the cases. All four victims were shot, the crimes occurred in relatively small or rural communities, and Rebert had some connection to each victim or location. Investigators also believed that evidence obtained after his arrest linked him to the New York cases. Nevertheless, suspicion and investigative statements are not substitutes for criminal convictions.
Aftermath
Rebert remains imprisoned under life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders of Wayne and Vicky Shugar. His appeals have not overturned the convictions.
The Pennsylvania prosecution brought a legal conclusion to the Shugar case, but the deaths of Bill Fickel and Kevin Smith have continued to cast a wider shadow over Rebert’s criminal history. For the victims’ families, the distinction between a prime suspect and a convicted murderer remains important. The Shugars’ relatives received a verdict and sentence, while the Fickel and Smith families were left without a completed prosecution.
Steven Patrick Rebert is therefore most accurately described as a convicted double murderer and suspected serial killer. Two murders have been conclusively attributed to him in court, while two additional killings remain publicly associated with him through law-enforcement investigations but have not resulted in convictions.
