Greenbrier Ghost
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
In 1897, Zona Heaster Sue was killed, in present day Sam Black Church, WV. The cause of death when she was buried was of natural causes, but her Ghost told her mother otherwise.
Images
Zona's Tombstone
West Virginia Marker
Zona Heaster Shue
The Shue House
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
This all began when a stranger named Edward Shue came into Greenbrier looking for a job as a Blacksmith. A popular girl by the name of Zona Heaster fell in love with the strange man and they were soon wedded. This did not sit well with Zona's mother, Mary Jane Robinson Heaster.
Zona and Edward lived together for several months, but on January 23, 1897 a young boy found Zona's lifeless body in their house. The young boy was running an errand for Edward at the time he found the body. Her body was found at the bottom of the staircase. She was positioned oddly with her feet together one hand on her stomach and the other laying beside her.
The doctor of the town, Dr. George W. Knapp, was asked to look at the body, however, he did not arrive for nearly an hour. By the time the doctor did arrive, Edward had already taken his wife upstairs to the bedroom, cleaned her, changed her a high neck dress with a veil, and positioned her peacefully on the bed.
Dr. Knapp examination was short due to the fact the Edward was sobbing over his loss and would violently react when the doctor tried to take a closer look at the body. Dr. Knapp had been treating Zona for weeks for "female problems" but it is still unclear weather or not she was pregnant. The doctor sent riders out to Zona's parents to tell them of the news. Upon hearing the news Mrs. Heaster said "The devil has killed her." There was a wake soon after in which Edward took care of everything. The body was buried in the Meadows.
Mrs. Heaster took the sheet from the coffin before it was buried and tried to return it to Mr. Shue but he did not accept it. Mrs. Heaster noticed a strange odor from the sheet. She washed it and it made the water turn red. Mrs. Heaster took this as a sign that her daughter had been murdered so she began to pray.
Soon Zona came to her mother in dream or as a ghost. She told her mother that she had been murdered by the evil Edward Shue. Zona appeared to her more four more times telling her certain details. Mrs. Heaster went to Dr. Knapp to get him to do a complete autopsy. The body was uncovered and another autopsy was performed. It showed that Zona's head had be dislocated and her wind pipes crushed.
Edward Shue was arrested and later found guilty in court of law for the murder of his wife, Zona. The testimony of the ghost helped convict Mr. Shue.
Zona and Edward lived together for several months, but on January 23, 1897 a young boy found Zona's lifeless body in their house. The young boy was running an errand for Edward at the time he found the body. Her body was found at the bottom of the staircase. She was positioned oddly with her feet together one hand on her stomach and the other laying beside her.
The doctor of the town, Dr. George W. Knapp, was asked to look at the body, however, he did not arrive for nearly an hour. By the time the doctor did arrive, Edward had already taken his wife upstairs to the bedroom, cleaned her, changed her a high neck dress with a veil, and positioned her peacefully on the bed.
Dr. Knapp examination was short due to the fact the Edward was sobbing over his loss and would violently react when the doctor tried to take a closer look at the body. Dr. Knapp had been treating Zona for weeks for "female problems" but it is still unclear weather or not she was pregnant. The doctor sent riders out to Zona's parents to tell them of the news. Upon hearing the news Mrs. Heaster said "The devil has killed her." There was a wake soon after in which Edward took care of everything. The body was buried in the Meadows.
Mrs. Heaster took the sheet from the coffin before it was buried and tried to return it to Mr. Shue but he did not accept it. Mrs. Heaster noticed a strange odor from the sheet. She washed it and it made the water turn red. Mrs. Heaster took this as a sign that her daughter had been murdered so she began to pray.
Soon Zona came to her mother in dream or as a ghost. She told her mother that she had been murdered by the evil Edward Shue. Zona appeared to her more four more times telling her certain details. Mrs. Heaster went to Dr. Knapp to get him to do a complete autopsy. The body was uncovered and another autopsy was performed. It showed that Zona's head had be dislocated and her wind pipes crushed.
Edward Shue was arrested and later found guilty in court of law for the murder of his wife, Zona. The testimony of the ghost helped convict Mr. Shue.
Sources
http://www.prairieghosts.com/shue.html
http://www.wvculture.org/history/wvmemory/hmresults.aspx?County=Greenbrier&Title=&Words=&Op=AND
http://www.wvculture.org/history/crime/shuearticles.html