Rachael DelTondo, 33, was shot dead standing on her mother's driveway on Sunday. She was an elementary school teacher but was suspended months before her death. (Facebook)
The investigation into a suspended Pennsylvania teacher’s murder have led police to search the Facebook accounts of several people, including a 17-year-old and her timeline of events the night the 33-year-old was gunned down on her mother’s driveway.
Investigators have revealed few developments in the search for suspects after Rachael DelTondo was shot several times on Mother’s Day. Search warrants were filed for the Facebook pages of Lauren Watkins — the 17-year-old who was one of the last people to see DelTondo alive — and her mother Stephanie Moxley, the Pittsburgh Gazette reported Monday.
Stephanie Watkins is the wife of Aliquippa Police Sgt. Kenneth Watkins, who was placed on administrative leave during the investigation. Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier previously said Kenneth and Lauren Watkins are not suspects in the homicide case.
Police also obtained a search warrant for Sheldon Jeter’s Facebook page. Jeter, now 20, was previously romantically involved with DelTondo and were caught together in a steamed-up car when he was 17 years old.
Officials are hoping clues on the Facebook profiles could lead to a suspect and motive in the murder. Police are looking through Facebook posts, messages and friends made between May 11 and May 15.
Investigators are retracing Watkins’ steps just before the deadly shooting, KDKA reported. According to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail and Beaver Countian, DelTondo and Lauren Watkins were together on May 13 and picked up Tyrie Jeter, 27, the older brother of Sheldon Jeter, to go to an ice cream shop. They returned to DelTondo’s home after.
Watkins left to drop Jeter at home when DelTondo was hit by at least 10 bullets.
Text messages reportedly showed DelTondo’s friend telling the 33-year-old to “go for a walk” and that she would pick her up after. DelTondo replied, “U serious? Haha” at 10:44 p.m. She was shot about 15 minutes later.
Watkins reportedly told police she took the former Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School teacher home to let her change clothes. She said she didn’t see anyone suspicious after leaving DelTondo’s home, KDKA reported.
Sheldon Jeter has also been on investigators’ radar. Police have interviewed Jeter, searched his cellphone and call records, and removed items from his home, including the clothes he was wearing the night of DelTondo’s death. Police said Jeter showed “no emotion” when he was informed DelTondo was dead, court records stated. Jeter told police he saw DelTondo at Circle K gas station with the sergeant’s daughter. DelTondo told him at the time “they were going to get ice cream,” according to the report.
DelTondo’s relationship to the Jeter brothers have been brought to the forefront since she died. Though she was romantically involved the Sheldon Jeter, the school teacher also reportedly had an on-again-off-again romantic relationship with Tyrie Jeter.
SUSPENDED PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL TEACHER'S MURDER WAS 'A CRIME OF PASSION,' INVESTIGATORS SAY
But at the time of her death, she was in a “serious relationship” with Jeter’s older brother, 32-year-old Rashawn Bolton. They had been dating six months, the Pittsburgh Gazette reported.
Sheldon Jeter’s attorney, Michael Santicola, said his client had nothing to do with DelTondo’s death despite the complicated romantic relationships.
“The brothers never had a problem with each other,” Santicola said. “The fact that they were all sleeping with this girl, it might shock the sensibilities of some, but it didn’t shock the sensibilities of those involved.”
The former elementary school teacher was placed on paid suspension in October 2017 after Pennsylvania Cyber officials received an email from an anonymous sender that included the police report filed about DelTondo and the underage student, Brian Hayden, Pennsylvania Cyber's CEO, told Fox News. Hayden said the student did not attend the online public school.
The incident wasn’t initially reported to the school, but became public when the police report and other documents marked “for official use only” were leaked to the school and media outlets, the Pittsburgh Gazette reported.
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