WHO SHOT SARAH?

WHEN A NEWSPAPER REPORTER FAILED TO SHOW UP FOR WORK, HER OWN MYSTERIOUS DEATH BECAME HEADLINE NEWS

- K. C. BAKER

At The Winchester Star in Winchester, Va., reporter Sarah Greenhalgh would often sweep into the newsroom with a tale to tell. "She'd always say, 'You'll never guess what happened to me!"" recalls fellow reporter Rebecca Layne. Known for her big personality, infectious laugh and dedication to the job, Greenhalgh "loved telling stories and had a great sense of humor."

So on the morning of July 9, 2012, when Greenhalgh failed to come to work, there was cause for concern. "We got a call that her house had been on fire," says another Star reporter, Melissa Boughton. Firefighters found Greenhalgh's body inside-with a gunshot wound to the neck. The fire had been deliberately set, authorities determined, and the victim's face and upper body were covered, a chilling sign, detectives suggested, that her killer knew her and didn't want to see her face.