TX TX - Martha Christine Shafer, 39, Harris County, May 26, 1992 *guilty*

[Murkywaters]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Martha Christine Shafer was last seen in Harris County, Texas on May 26, 1992

 

[Murkywaters]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Demographics
Missing Age: 39 Years
Current Age: 66 Years
First Name: Martha
Middle Name: Christine
Last Name: Shafer
Nickname/Alias: Cricket, Martha McClelland, Marhta Shafer, Marhta McClelland
Sex: Female
Height: 4' 10" (58 Inches)
Weight: 95 lbs
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Circumstances
Date of Last Contact: May 26, 1992
NamUs Case Created: January 18, 2020
Last Known Location Map
Location: Texas
County: Harris County
Circumstances of Disappearance: Last seen on May 26, 1992.

Physical Description
Hair Color: Brown
Head Hair: Description --
Body Hair: Description --
Facial Hair: Description --
Left Eye Color : Hazel
Right Eye Color: Hazel
Eye Description --

Distinctive Physical Features
Scar/mark: Mole forehead (Source NCIC record).

 

[Murkywaters]

Husband sentenced to 40 years in wife's death

A man sentenced to 40 years for assaulting a probation officer earlier this year followed up the trial with an admission to authorities that he killed his wife 17 years ago.

Terry Lee Shafer, 53, told Brown County investigators in August that he kidnapped and suffocated his wife in 1992. Shafer told authorities he dumped Martha Shafer's body in the San Jacinto River, east of Houston near Baytown.

"He confessed to me the day after the trial," said Sgt. Tony Aaron of the Brown County Sheriff's Office. "He knew he was going to prison and he said he wanted to give closure to the family (of Martha Shafer)."

 

[Gardener1850]

Martha was born Martha Christine McClelland on 16 May 1953 in Harris County, Texas: FamilySearch

Martha married Terry Lee Shafer on 26 Jul 1980, also in Harris County, Texas: FamilySearch

Birth records at family search show they had a son (reminder, we are not allowed to name him or sleuth him here).

There is a findagrave memorial for Martha with a headstone in her maiden name with the date she went missing as her date of death: Martha C McClelland (1953-1992) - Find A Grave...

There is also a SS death record for her under her married name with the date she went missing as DOD: FamilySearch
The SS death record probably means she was legally declared deceased at some point based on her husband's conviction; the SS death date is usually retroactive to when they believe death occurred after the court rules. MOO.

 

[BlueTexas]

We need a picture posted for Cricket, Martha Shafer

 

[Jonred]

Martha Shaffer was a small lady, with a big heart. I don't have a picture of her and I haven't been in contact with her family in a long time but the best way to describe her is she looked like the singer Ronnie, Ronnie and the Ronetts! Her nickname cricket comes from her voice, it was kind of high-pitched and she was only 4'10" tall. She was a great person and a great mother. I remember meeting her ex-husband Terry Shaffer only once, he picked up her youngest son to spend the day with him and her son asked me to come with them so I went along with them. He seemed pretty normal to me but then again I was just a kid so most people in my eyes seemed normal at that time. He took us to the battleship Texas and then down to the San Jacinto River which is disturbing to me ever since I found out that he killed her and put her in the San Jacinto River! She didn't deserve that and neither did her family. They always suspected him of doing something to her and they were right. I often wonder did he take me and his son to the place where he took her before he kidnapped her? Any way Martha was taken from her son's way way to early and she didn't deserve anything that happened to her.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

High school photos from CE King HS

 

[BlackPearlSwan]

She was my 1st cousin twice removed. I heard a lot of stories from my mother and aunt about her ... I did not get to meet her but she sounded like a wonderful person. I wish I had more pictures of her or stories but this thread is the best I have.

 

[BlackPearlSwan]

These are all the pictures I have of her.