AL - Karen Shahan, 53, murdered, Homewood, 23 July 2013 #2

[Kensie]

Wow. I wonder if the boyfriend is in Europe or lived in the U.S.

I wonder if RS met the boyfriend via some dating site. I wonder if they are met in person. So sad and tragic.

 

[Fairy1]

I'm thinking the prosecution must have some pretty compelling evidence for these allegations. To say that his plan was to marry his boyfriend and never return to the U.S. is quite specific.

 

[LambChop]

The bond seems low to me also. I would think the judge would consider him a suicide risk and keep him locked up so he can be tried in court.

I think the people who donated $ should get their money back but I don't think they will. The money is evidence and from the little I know, church members cannot get their money/tithes back once given.

RS was going on a mission alright! RS should have embraced who he is and not dragged a woman into his mess so he could fit in with his church. MOO

I believe the money is all there. His attorney claims it is his. If donation money was given to him for his trip I would think the church would be able to get it back once they make a claim.

Oh, wait. RS was on paid administrative leave until December 31st. That was 5 months of pay he was receiving at $5,000 plus a month. That would be $25,000 so he could be telling the truth that this was all his money. In any case his attorney should be able to prove this from his bank records. jmo

 

[RazTaz]

This whole situation is like a soap opera but so sad because an innocent person is dead and a family shattered.

Very true. And the allegations, if proven to be true, have the potential of impacting thousands of lives simply because of the depth of the deception.

 

[Fairy1]

How terrible! Why didn't he just GO? Start his new life and leave the old behind? This doesn't make any sense whatsoever!

My heart goes out to Karen's loved ones and the community. :rose:

Maybe that was his plan initially. Maybe he was planning to leave the country under the guise of the mission and never come back all along but Karen discovered everything too soon and threatened to expose him?

 

[SmoothOperator]

Very true. And the allegations, if proven to be true, have the potential of impacting thousands of lives simply because of the depth of the deception.

I think second only to the fact that this beautiful woman, Karen Shahan's life was so brutally taken from her.. Is not only just the DEPTH of deception, but the all encompassing, wide wake of destruction that will only continue to ripple out in affecting a great number of innocent, extremely good hearted, and loving people.. People who love both Karen and Richard..and now on top of the brutal blow of dealing with Karen's murder..having to deal with such deceit and betrayal by someone they and their families truly trusted.. Its just very, very difficult even as an outsider looking in, its difficult for me to watch this unfold and realizing the wide, rippling effect that it is having/and will continue having on many, many innocent, good people who so don't deserve ANY OF THIS.. My continued prayers for the so many who are being affected by this tragedy.

**Please forgive the limitations that come w/my posting via mobile ATM**

 

[LambChop]

Maybe that was his plan initially. Maybe he was planning to leave the country under the guise of the mission and never come back all along but Karen discovered everything too soon and threatened to expose him?

But if his plan was to live openly with a partner why would it matter if Karen found out. He would still have gone on with his plans because he had no intention of keeping it a secret. So I don't see that as a strong motive to kill someone. If he wanted to go she certainly could not have stopped him. If anything the murder slowed down his plans because he was due to leave in the fall.

I see a couple of things that a defense attorney would have a field day during a trial because they don't make any sense. Plus who plans to murder someone and then puts their plans to move to another country in emails, publicizes the fact that he is leaving the country for 3 years? There are still a lot of questions that we do not have answers for. jmo

 

[txsvicki]

If he lied to Karen then maybe he would lie to a male partner. He could have had no intentions of marrying anyone, but just get over there and have secret affairs or something while still having an income. I guess we'll find out, but I wonder if this is a recent goodlooking young boyfriend or a longtime older lover.

 

[Fairy1]

But if his plan was to live openly with a partner why would it matter if Karen found out. He would still have gone on with his plans because he had no intention of keeping it a secret. So I don't see that as a strong motive to kill someone. If he wanted to go she certainly could not have stopped him. If anything the murder slowed down his plans because he was due to leave in the fall.

I see a couple of things that a defense attorney would have a field day during a trial because they don't make any sense. Plus who plans to murder someone and then puts their plans to move to another country in emails, publicizes the fact that he is leaving the country for 3 years? There are still a lot of questions that we do not have answers for. jmo

IDK - maybe because he needed the money he could collect only by sticking with the mission story. I doubt anyone would have contributed knowing he was running off with another man.

I actually believe e-mails and cell records are what will do him in. There must be one heck of an electronic trail that he thought was well hidden.

Remember Christopher Coleman? There was someone who thought he was so much smarter than everyone else but his desperation to be with his girlfriend made him an even bigger idiot.

I really think even when all the sordid details are revealed, Karen's murder will never make any sense at all.

 

[CountryGirl]

Murder never makes sense. Yet, we see it all the time. People who don't want their spouse to have assets, children, whatever. Jealous spouses, lovers, exes.

This does seem premeditated, IMO. How odd that she would be stabbed to death the night her husband happened to be out of town/state? Built in alibi.

I believe there is more evidence than just motive and either he will take a plea or we will see in trial.

I believe he thought his mission would allow him to leave the country and his position and mission would make him above reproach. And I believe he was truly shocked when he was arrested at the airport.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

http://www.waff.com/story/24475057/...r-intended-to-flee-country-to-marry-boyfriend

"Thursday's hearing covered Shahan's bond, returning personal property and preserving evidence in the case."

"Assistant DA Poston said prosecutors were not planning to discuss Shahan's motive for murder Thursday because they were hoping the bond hearing would have been combined with Shahan's preliminary hearing. But when Judge Watkins forced the issue of whether or not Shahan should be released on bond, prosecutors decided to go ahead and make their claim that Shahan planned to flee the country and marry his boyfriend."
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Since I am no legal expert... I do not know exactly what the second paragraph quoted above means...

But... it sounds like the Assistant DA had enough evidence to hold Shahan as a perpetrator... without having to divulge the emails regarding Shahan's intent to flee and marry his boyfriend...

Yet... when the Judge continued asking... that was when this issue was revealed...

Therefore... I do not think the "boyfriend" aspect is the only evidence the DA feels they have that indicates Shahan murdered Karen...

JMO

 

[txsvicki]

Surely there is more evidence than just having a lover of either sex. They had to of found emails or someone squealed about the relationship and intended marriage.

 

[LambChop]

Surely there is more evidence than just having a lover of either sex. They had to of found emails or someone squealed about the relationship and intended marriage.

Plus there is a big difference between a man wanting to leave a marriage and a woman wanting to leave. His income was much more than Karen's. If she objected all he had to do was leave which it appears he was already planning on doing. Generally for a woman it's a lot more complicated to leave when you have no money to relocate or no where to go. There has to be more. So what is next? Does the judge get a look at what they have and then turn it over to a grand jury?

 

[Sulamith]

If he lied to Karen then maybe he would lie to a male partner. He could have had no intentions of marrying anyone, but just get over there and have secret affairs or something while still having an income. I guess we'll find out, but I wonder if this is a recent goodlooking young boyfriend or a longtime older lover.

If there was a male partner, maybe he was hoping that RS might be his ticket to the US??

My ex-husband of many many years, found a gal from the Philippines through his church. IMO, like an arranged marriage. Church people paid for her to come to the US. She arrived, ex married her, she left him once she was in the US.

 

[killarney rose]

This might end up explaining why someone with an income as good as his ended up in bankruptcy. A double life can get expensive. MOO is that he planned to use the mission trip as an excuse to get to Russia and one day he would slip off to Kazastan (sp) for good and to his new life, thereby evading US authorities and extradition.

 

[BhamGurl]

But if his plan was to live openly with a partner why would it matter if Karen found out. He would still have gone on with his plans because he had no intention of keeping it a secret. So I don't see that as a strong motive to kill someone. If he wanted to go she certainly could not have stopped him. If anything the murder slowed down his plans because he was due to leave in the fall.

I see a couple of things that a defense attorney would have a field day during a trial because they don't make any sense. Plus who plans to murder someone and then puts their plans to move to another country in emails, publicizes the fact that he is leaving the country for 3 years? There are still a lot of questions that we do not have answers for. jmo

The rumors about this had been pervasive and I was unable to dismiss it after a while. Like you, LambChop, I was not able to understand the motive still.
It was described as a brutal murder. Why?

 

[Mystymiss]

Just wondering if RS took $25,000 the last time he went on a mission? Doesn't look like he was planning on returning... jmo

 

[TGIRecovered]

Wow. I wonder if the boyfriend is in Europe or lived in the U.S.

Good question. When were they together? Here, there or elsewhere?

Did the other guy suddenly take a trip right before RS tried to leave? Anyone from his circle of friends recently skip town? Did they have a faux platonic friendship to hide the affair, a working relationship, an online thing or what?

It might not be a bad idea to check on the other dude's family in case anyone is missing or unexpectedly dead. Couples have traded murders before....MOO

Think about it. You are the other guy, RS's wife is horrifically murdered and now you are still planning a marriage? Does other guy think her murder was just fortunate coincidence?


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[IHAVENOCLUE]

I am wondering where RS and boyfriend were planning on getting married?

As I understand it, Russia is not tolerant of alternative lifestyles...

I am not familiar with the societal acceptance of same-sex marriages in Germany (where he was supposed to travel through?)... Or the UK (where it is reported he wanted to live)...

Just thinking here...

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

Not particularly about this case but I know for a fact that there is a lot of CASH that comes into a church from parishoners each week. And that cash is virtually unaccounted for and untraceable from a forensic accounting standpoint.

That being said, and in that vein, perhaps K made the mistake of threatening the pastor in a heated exchange--- that she would blow the whistle and go public about misallocated CASH , the bankruptcy, and other unmentionable daliances?? This could've put him over the edge, perhaps?

Just speculating here....



moo