Missing Pa. Woman Was Allegedly Killed by Man She Met Online, Who Then Directed Police to Body
Pennsylvania State Police Erica Shultz
The body of a missing 26-year-old Pennsylvania woman has been found in a wooded area of Luzerne County, and authorities were led to her body by the man accused of killing her.
According to multiple reports, which cite police, including those from WOLF-TV, WNEP and the Philly Voice, Harold D. Haulman III, 42, has been charged with criminal homicide, kidnapping and abuse of a corpse for allegedly killing Erica Shultz.
Shultz, who had autism, went missing on Dec. 6. The Bloomsburg woman's remains were recovered Sunday.
Police say they were able to link Haulman to Shultz through phone records.
Haulman, who was married and was described by authorities as a transient, met Shultz through a dating app called MeetMe.
Shultz was reported missing after failing to show up for work.
Pennsylvania State Police Harold D. Haulman III
Investigators tracked Haulman to Michigan, where he was interviewed about Shultz. Police also put a GPS tracker on his vehicle, according to the reports. When he did not show up to a second interview with police, he was tracked to Duncannon, Pennsylvania.
He was detained Saturday after being found walking along the train tracks in Duncannon.
According to police, Haulman had slashed his own arms with a box cutter, and allegedly told authorities "I want to kill myself."
He also allegedly said "I need to die for my sins."
Haulman was transported to the hospital. Later, using Google Maps, he showed police where he'd dumped Shultz's body, say police.
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Police allege Haulman told them he and Shultz had walked into the woods in Butler Township, where he hit her about a dozen times with a mallet-type hammer. Afterwards, he allegedly said he repeatedly stabbed her with a kitchen knife.
At this point, detectives have yet to determine a possible motive for the horrific killing.
PEOPLE was unable Tuesday to determine if Haulman had entered pleas to the charges he faces.
It was also unclear if he has retained an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
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