Authorities investigating the shooting death of Pennsylvania teacher Rachael DelTondo have not made any arrests or named an official suspect in the three weeks since the Mother’s Day slaying.
DelTondo, 33, was shot multiple times in the driveway of her mother’s home in Aliquippa on the night of May 13, after returning home from an outing for ice cream with two friends. One of those friends, Lauren Watkins, is the daughter of an Aliquippa Police sergeant. He has been suspended without pay while his department investigates the murder, and has faced criticism from his superiors for reportedly showing up to the crime scene though he was off-duty.
There are numerous players who may be connected to or have knowledge of what may have led to the murder, but police do not appear to have zeroed in on any one person. According to search warrants obtained by local news outlets, the police have interviewed or sought phone and/or social media account information from Lauren Watkins and her mother Stephanie, as well as a pair of brothers DelTondo is believed to have been romantically involved with, possibly at different times
One of those young men, Sheldon Jeter, was found in a parked car with DelTondo in February 2016, when he was 17 years old. Both DelTondo and Jeter reportedly told police that they were just talking, and DelTondo was not charged with any wrongdoing. But she was suspended from her teaching position late last year after a local news outlet reported on the incident. The newspaper reportedly received the information from a leaker within the police department.
DelTondo’s ex-fiance Frank Catroppa has also been questioned by police, and as CrimeOnline previously reported, his alibi appears to be questionable. He reportedly said he was home the night of her murder but data from the “key fob” at his apartment building does not show him entering the building that day.
Additionally, Rachael’s mother Lisa DelTondo told reporters that her daughter had previously received death threats on social media. It is not known who made the alleged threats.
Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier told The Times Online that prosecutors are actively seeking a suspect, and cautioned that it will take time to analyze the evidence.
“We are doggedly pursuing the evidence,” Lozier told the news outlet, adding that authorities have bullet shell casings, phone records, and computer records among the evidence. He said that multiple agencies are aiding in the investigation and forensic analysis.
“… sometimes we need the assistance of other agencies because some phones are hard to unlock; some phones have information that has been deleted. There are other agencies that have better software than I have.”
“We don’t want to arrest the wrong guy or girl,” Lozier said.
