Last Friday, Lancaster County Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance call involving 39-year-old Jason Shackelford and his ex-girlfriend.
According to authorities, the woman said she was going through a breakup with Shackelford and asked him to move out of their home.
However, when she returned home from work on last Thursday, Shackelford told her he had kidnapped her daughter, Elaina Smith. He claimed that he had took the Smith to New York but assured the mother that her daughter was safe.
The mom told authorities that Shackelford then attacked and raped her inside of their home before forcing the woman to visit a nearby hotel with him, using her daughter as leverage of persuasion.
Shackelford and the woman arrived at the hotel where he raped her again, before allowing her to smoke a cigarette outside. The woman quickly notified a hotel staffer that she was in danger and needed to call the police.
Once the authorities arrived, Shackelford allegedly admitted to raping and killing Elaina inside of their home. Shackelford’s confession led to police searching the house and finding Elaina’s body inside the basement freezer.
Lancaster Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni revealed Elaina passed away from strangulation.
This isn’t the first time Shackelford had a run in with the law. In 2019, the 39-year-old man pled guilty to indecent assault, terroristic threats, and a simple assault from a previous incident. In addition, Shackelford was also forced to register as a sex offender.
Shackelford has been charged with criminal homicide with more charges to come as the investigation continues.
