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

[Flutterflies]

A gay man on the down low and a lesbian who leaves her husband for another woman are two completely different things.

Gay men are perfectly capable of having sex with a woman, and without getting graphic the position is not usually missionary because they would have to look at their partner and they are usually fantasizing during it, and they sure aren't thinking about a woman.

Again, I am speaking from personal experience. It's the most heartbreaking thing to have wasted years on someone who was using you as a cover. It makes you question everything about the relationship, what was true and what wasn't, and it also makes you question your ability to judge all situations and people you deal with.

Also very different with the down low men is if they are discovered, they become extremely abusive and vindictive.

Again, my 100% pity is for Karen. God bless her having to live that nightmare.

I am so sorry about your heartbreaking experience. Thanks for sharing.

:grouphug:

 

[DTLJ]

Would Karen not have struggled with her husband being gay if it was the stance of her church to not support homosexuality? It would be interesting to know her particular church’s stance on the matter, as I think that her beliefs would probably be in line with her church’s beliefs.

<modsnip>

We really don't know if Karen knew about this other boyfriend. I do know from experience that incredible anger can rage in the betrayer because of guilt, of anger that she is in the way, and the hovering cloud of being found out. With those types of emotion, RS could have been enraged with her for many reasons. The rage in a betrayer doesn't make sense to the wife, and the rage certainly doesn't make sense to anyone else, but it makes perfect sense to the betrayer...because he is dealing with raging conflict within himself on several levels. And yes, Karen suffered the most in all of this.

 

[enzeder]

I agree that suicide could be likely if the killer had remorse or was terrified of spending life in prison but I also suspect RS is a different kind of personality.

Take a look at the pic of him when he walked out of jail on bail. Check that swagger. This guy isn't ashamed, embarrassed, remorseful or in fear of the possibility of life in prison. This a just another challenge for a narcissistic evil criminal. He thinks he'll beat the charge and if he doesn't he'll be a rock star in prison with all of the other murderers, killers, perverts and con men.

Poor Karen. I'm sure that life was miserable with RS as a husband.

MOO

BBM - :yes:

http://media.al.com/spotnews/photo/-530f228bf3b6a971.jpg

 

[CountryGirl]

Yes, RS seems to have many faces.

 

[SouthAussie]

BBM - :yes:

http://media.al.com/spotnews/photo/-530f228bf3b6a971.jpg

Wow .. that photo is in stark contrast to the one taken soon after of him walking out of the building clutching onto his escort in the hi-vis jacket.

I wouldn't have thought that he would be unable to put on a mask of confidence in front of the waiting media. He seemed to manage well enough inside the building.

http://www.myfoxal.com/story/24484926/richard-shahan-out-on-100k-bond-under-house-arrest

 

[LambChop]

I'm just not getting what the motive would be. There was no money to fight over, no children to fight over, even given the fact one partner is having a relationship outside their marriage I don't see any other motive for the brutality with which Karen was killed. He could just leave. There did not appear to be anything to rage about. If he planned his visit ahead of time to go to Tennessee and left that day why would he come back and brutality murder her. That would mean this person had some severe psychological problems.

We do hear about husbands murdering their wives but we have heard very little about women murdered because their husband leaves them for another man. Men just leave. I'm not saying it has never happened because I don't know. I just know you never hear about it. And I know people marry and then leave their families to be in a relationship with a same sex partner but there does not seem to be the igniters in this situation like there is when a man leaves his family for another woman. In that case the betrayed wife wants to get even with the other woman. With the other situation the betrayed wife is conflicted and can't understand what happened.

Plus we do not know what Karen knew and when she knew it. We don't know when RS made his plans to stay permanently in the UK. It depends on what the context of the emails reveals. Is it possible Karen knew his plans and planned to get a divorce once he left knowing he would not be back? There are a lot of questions, a lot that we do not have the answers to. jmo

 

[Flutterflies]

Yes, RS seems to have many faces.

Would like to see a psych profile on him. What would his mother say about family pets and RS? How was he when growing up? The violent tendencies could have been building up for years and years with Karen being the ultimate victim.

 

[Flutterflies]

Wow .. that photo is in stark contrast to the one taken soon after of him walking out of the building clutching onto his escort in the hi-vis jacket.

I wouldn't have thought that he would be unable to put on a mask of confidence in front of the waiting media. He seemed to manage well enough inside the building.

http://www.myfoxal.com/story/24484926/richard-shahan-out-on-100k-bond-under-house-arrest

Just looked at that photo. I am shocked at how pleased he looks with himself. Is that a smirky smile? Makes me sick.

Karen is no longer in the land of the living with her joyful smile. I would much rather see her smiling face than RS smirky smile!

 

[killarney rose]

I have seen multiple cases presented on the ID channel where the pastor husband has a mistress and rather than have his cheating discovered and image tarnished he killed his wife and tried to make it look like it was an intruder or suicide.

These guys just do not want their reputation tarnished. Lots of ego involved here. I've seen it often, even in pastors who have nothing to hide. they need that ego stroke from their congregation looking up to them and putting them on a pedestal.I doubt that it would make any difference if the lover was a male. In fact, I would think that would make him want to cover the affair even more as it is a double stigma. Not only is he committing adultery, he is doing it with a male.

When we mention the Baptist church's stance on homosexuality, we are not trying to discuss religion, we are only explaining how it plays into this case. IMO, this plays a very significant part in why he probably committed this act against his wife.

As has been mentioned, there is so much ego involved with these guys. MOO is that RS would rather have gone on to Germany with his reputation intact, then at some time quietly slipped away to his new life, again, reputation intact.

Whether RS killed KS in the heat of the moment, or whether it was premeditated, I'm positive he never intended for his affair or the plans for his new life to be made public.

 

[CountryGirl]

We have seen countless cases where the wife is killed because the husband has another lover. Sometimes even the children are murdered. Scott Peterson, Chris Coleman, Jason Young to name a few. Motive? No different here. Any one of these men could have walked away. None of them did.

 

[michmi]

At this time, I'd also have to say his reputation was the trigger, she might not even have known about the boyfriend - but might have discovered , some evidence of emails or texting going on with men, who knows.

She might have threatened to expose him to the church, his children, his family. At that time, since he wasn't going anywhere right away, exposure certainly would put a big damper on his plans.

I also would like to know where this boyfriend is - over there? Was he here when the murder occurred?

 

[enzeder]

At this time, I'd also have to say his reputation was the trigger, she might not even have known about the boyfriend - but might have discovered , some evidence of emails or texting going on with men, who knows.

She might have threatened to expose him to the church, his children, his family. At that time, since he wasn't going anywhere right away, exposure certainly would put a big damper on his plans.

I also would like to know where this boyfriend is - over there? Was he here when the murder occurred?

I'd like to know where RS boyfriend is too. I'm guessing local. IMO

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AL - Pastor ARRESTED for Brutal slaying of wife Karen Shahan

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AL - Pastor ARRESTED for Brutal slaying of wife Karen Shahan

 

[Fairy1]

I have seen multiple cases presented on the ID channel where the pastor husband has a mistress and rather than have his cheating discovered and image tarnished he killed his wife and tried to make it look like it was an intruder or suicide.

These guys just do not want their reputation tarnished. Lots of ego involved here. I've seen it often, even in pastors who have nothing to hide. they need that ego stroke from their congregation looking up to them and putting them on a pedestal.I doubt that it would make any difference if the lover was a male. In fact, I would think that would make him want to cover the affair even more as it is a double stigma. Not only is he committing adultery, he is doing it with a male.

When we mention the Baptist church's stance on homosexuality, we are not trying to discuss religion, we are only explaining how it plays into this case. IMO, this plays a very significant part in why he probably committed this act against his wife.

As has been mentioned, there is so much ego involved with these guys. MOO is that RS would rather have gone on to Germany with his reputation intact, then at some time quietly slipped away to his new life, again, reputation intact.

Whether RS killed KS in the heat of the moment, or whether it was premeditated, I'm positive he never intended for his affair or the plans for his new life to be made public.

I just watched such a case on ID today! Pastor was having an affair and killed his wife so that it would look like a suicide. It didn't work. He left far too many clues. I imagine that is the case here as well. We shall see.

 

[Kensie]

I watched that same show too. My former pastor neighbor is now a registered sexual offender. Everyone has struggles and some people cannot deal with the struggles. Desperate people do desperate things.

 

[Kensie]

I'd like to know where RS boyfriend is too. I'm guessing local. IMO

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AL - Pastor ARRESTED for Brutal slaying of wife Karen Shahan


Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AL - Pastor ARRESTED for Brutal slaying of wife Karen Shahan

I am thinking the boyfriend is not local. I am thinking it is an internet. Relationship. I have a gut feeling in this.

 

[sinclairsss]

Reader of this thread since August but first time posting.

Wonder why pastorpk hasn't posted since Jan. 7th (as best as I can tell)?

 

[MissJ]

JMO but it seems clear what the motive is here....he wants to move on with a new life. Divorce would profoundly affect his future reputation and ability for work. He couldn't have that and he didn't want a wife that he had any responsibility for or to. I'm sure he thought no one would ever suspect him.

 

[Kimster]

Reader of this thread since August but first time posting.

Wonder why pastorpk hasn't posted since Jan. 7th (as best as I can tell)?

We don't discuss our fellow posters. :tyou:

I'm glad you posted, though! It gives us the opportunity to welcome you to Websleuths!!!!

:welcome:
:wagon:

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Welcome sinclairsss!

 

[Sulamith]

I just watched such a case on ID today! Pastor was having an affair and killed his wife so that it would look like a suicide. It didn't work. He left far too many clues. I imagine that is the case here as well. We shall see.

Was that Pastor Matt Baker from Waco, Texas? If so, he almost got away with killing his wife, Kari. LE quickly ruled her death a suicide. Her family had to really fight for her.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/texas-pastor-matt-baker-convicted-wifes-2006-murder/story?id=11092046