Grand jury meets to hear evidence in murder investigation; suspect in jail
Date published: 1/27/2010
BY KEITH EPPS
The man suspected of killing a Spotsylvania County woman last month is in jail and could be charged with her death soon, the county's top prosecutor said yesterday.
Alma Elizabeth von Steinner, 57, was found dead Dec. 30 outside her home at 9404 Robert E. Lee Drive. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.
Commonwealth's Attorney Bill Neely said a special grand jury had its first meeting yesterday to consider evidence against the suspect.
Neely has named the suspect in open court, but he is not being named in this story because he has not yet been charged in the homicide.
Neely said authorities are awaiting results from the state lab before filing charges. Among the items seized from the suspect were bloody clothes.
According to an affidavit for a search warrant filed in Spotsylvania Circuit Court, von Steinner's brother called the Prince William Police Department on Dec. 28 and said his sister was missing. He told police she had not been heard from since Dec. 22.
The brother went to his sister's Spotsylvania home on Dec. 30 and found a broken window, the affidavit states. After getting into the residence, he found a large amount of blood.
The Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office was called and found her decomposing body in a trash pile about 25 yards from the house.
The suspect, who Neely said just got out of prison in November, was arrested on a malicious wounding warrant from Stafford earlier this month.
He is accused of breaking the jaw of a woman who had been asking questions about why he was driving von Steinner's vehicle. That attack occurred on Christmas Day.
The vehicle, a gray 2004 Dodge Ram pickup truck with personalized license plates "PIT-PALS" is still missing.
The suspect is also being held on probation violation charges in Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg.
Neely said the witness who was assaulted last month met von Steinner while they were in the Rappahannock Regional Jail. Von Steinner was there from July to October on animal cruelty convictions.
The suspect, who has a lengthy criminal record, met von Steinner through the witness. The motive for her slaying remains unclear.
The Public Defender's Office was defending the suspect in his other cases, but it will be removed from his cases because the office has represented both the suspect and von Steinner in the past, Neely said.
A new attorney had not been appointed as of yesterday. The suspect is in the Rappahannock Regional Jail under no bond.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
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I am Lone Wolf. Name given by Beth. Police located truck two weeks ago after they were told about white paint spilled on it. There is alot more to be known, we are all anxious to find out all we can about everything that happened to Beth. It has saddened and shocked us trmendously. I am glad we have all these concerned people inquiring! It shows that we All care. Beth is resting in peace; a peace we do not know yet. There is more to be known, but cannot reveal due to messing up the investigation. Pretty sure the guy that is locked up is the one..no doubt in my mind. Too much coincidence involved in this friendship of the others. Anyway, the guy is not going anywhere. I copied the above so we could stay up to par with the news.
We love Beth, and do want justice. As said in the first comment made, he will get real justice in the end! Need to add....all these people who are costantly inquiring about this case... have a right to...they live in the area and want to make sure there is no guy out there running around to do this again..I'd be afraid not to know anything further as well.
