A Brief History
On January 23, 1897, Elva Zona Heaster, about 24 years old, was found dead, later proven to have been murdered by her husband through her own ghost’s testimony!
Digging Deeper
Digging deeper, we find a West Virginia couple married less than a year, Zona having been an unwed mother prior to the wedding and Erasmus Shue a divorcé and widower.
Zona’s body was found by a boy who had been sent on an errand by Shue, and Shue was summoned to the scene. Prior to the arrival of the local doctor (who doubled as coroner), Shue had moved the body to the bed and had dressed her in a high neck dress with a veil. The doctor tried to examine the victim, but the violent protestations of Shue kept him from doing much more than glancing at her, certainly not a normal examination.
After her death having been ruled natural (“everlasting faint,” whatever that is!), Zona was buried, although witnesses did notice her head flopping around limply when she was moved.
After praying every day for a month, Zona’s mother had a dream or vision from the ghost of Zona who told her mother that Shue had murdered her by strangling her and breaking her neck. Armed with this information, Zona’s mother demanded the prosecutor open an investigation, which he did. An autopsy was done, and indeed, it was found that poor Zona had been murdered by strangulation and a broken neck.
Erasmus Shue went on trial for his wife’s murder, but he confidently predicted he would be let go due to lack of substantial evidence. The prosecutor declined to use the ghostly information as he thought that would actually hinder his case, but incredibly, the defense insisted on bringing it forward when questioning Zona’s mother!
The court believed the ghost, now known as the “Greenbrier Ghost,” and not Shue, and Shue was convicted of murder and sent to prison where he died of “natural” causes shortly thereafter.
There were no more reports of Zona’s ghost appearing to anyone, but it bears mention that to emphasize that her husband had broken her neck, the ghost had turned her head around backwards for her mother!
Another highly unusual aspect to this case, bizarre aspect if you will, is that the State of West Virginia actually erected a monument to the case, noting that it is the only case where a ghost’s testimony solved a murder! Probably also the only monument erected by any state to a ghost!
Question for students (and subscribers): Should supernatural evidence ever be considered in a trial? If so, what kind of evidence and under what circumstances? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information on this particular incident and others from West Virginia, please read…
Fitzhugh, Pat. Ghostly Cries From Dixie. The Armand Press, 2009.
Southall, Richard. How to be a Ghost Hunter (How To Series). Llewellyn Publications, 2003.
Wilson, Patty A. Haunted West Virginia: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Mountain State (Haunted Series). Stackpole Books, 2007.
The featured image in this article, a photograph of The Shue House, Greenbrier County, West Virginia from http://www.prairieghosts.com/shue.html, is in the public domain in the United States. In most cases, this means that it was first published prior to January 1, 1924 (see the template documentation for more cases).
You can also watch a video version of this article on YouTube:
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="1059 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=1059">50 Comments
I don’t believe in ghosts, so I don’t believe it was Elva’s ghost that appeared to her mother after she was dead. I do however think it odd that Shue moved the body and veiled her, refusing a doctors examination of her body. Can you act much more suspicious? It is pretty obvious that he murdered her and did a poor job trying to cover it up.
Seems like a lot of Ghost stories come out of West Virgina.
This was quite an interesting article, but I don’t believe in ghosts.
This seems like something that would come out of West Virginia. That state is know for all the hauntings and what not of their ghost. But I feel like this law suit was too good to be true.
I don’t believe in ghosts either. The story is rather strange, but I would be more likely to believe the autopsy than the account Elva’s ghost.
I do believe in ghosts, but I also believe that people make up stories about them too. I do find it interesting that the courts were wiling to take a ghosts word for it even though it was clear that he murdered her.
I bet Elva’s mother actually killed her and framed her husband.
What an interesting story! I’m glad that Shue didn’t get away with Elva’s murder.
I have never seen a ghost and have a hard time believing this story. I am glad they convicted him though.
The ghost story seems a little out there, but it was an interesting story to read. The fact Shue didn’t want the autopsy to happen made him seem suspicious from the beginning. I’m glad in the end he was convicted of the crime of killing Elva.
It’s amazing how something as out there as a ghost telling the truth convicted a man of murder. It shows a lot of how the law system has drastically changed since then and that much more information is needed to convict someone in today’s day and age.
I also agree it was an interesting story! But I do not believe in ghosts either.
Funny, “the court believed the ghost and not Shue.”
I wonder sometimes if there is really any truth to it all. Today police use physics to help solve crimes. Who knows really.
I dont believe in ghosts so this seems wild to me. It really shows how far we have come in terms of using logic instead of religion/supernatural things in court cases in modern times.
cool story, i personally dont believe in ghost but who knows. but shue got what he deserved
Interesting read though I don’t believe in ghosts. I do think it’s amusing how justice was served to Shue though.
Interesting. We must note though, the rather easily accepted fact that people like to believe in what cant be explained or seen. Good Read Dr.Z
Even though I do not believe in ghosts this is a pretty interesting story.
I believe in ghosts and this def. helps prove that they are around. Great read!!
i don’t believe in ghosts…but this was interesting to read.
This article was very interesting. The best part is the fact that Virginia erected a monument to the ghost. Great read.
I do believe in things that can’t be explained, however using it to convict someone of murder shouldn’t be taken into account.
This is a very interesting piece of history. There are people around that believe in ghosts, I personally have never meet one. But who knows what all goes on in the supernatural world.
Well this was interesting, Obviously court wouldn’t accept the ghost info in the court of law. It was very interesting that the state put a monument up.
That is terrible. That shouldn’t have been allowed as evidence
This “evidence” may have been okay to use to reopen a case but not to convict someone of murder. The man should have been let go for not enough evidence but it just shows how times have changed. Now a days no one would ever be convicted because of a ghost or even have a case reopened.
What a terrible ending, and very spooky. it probably shouldnt have been allowed as evidence but it seemed to be accurate
I believe that ghosts are real. But I think they took this one too far to convict someone of murder considering there wasn’t actual proof of his doing these horrid things to his wife. But maybe he got what he deserved. Too many people slip through the system these days.
Im not really a believer in ghosts but I havent ruled them out completely
I think that it is really awesome that back then they could open or re-open a case based on a dream. If this were to happen today the dream or the encounter of a ghost would not be accepted in a court room as a justifiable reason for a case. ( also I personally think that things like this still occur today people just don’t believe in it enough)
I do not believe in ghosts, but I still have an open mind to the issue
I believe in ghost/ spirits. My family is very superstitious. If black cats cross other path while walking or driving we’ll turn around and go the opposite way. We don’t split poles when walking.
We talk to dead members of our family all the time. Example; my grandma passed away in 2012. Currently, I live in her house. I’ll walk in from school and speak to her as if she’s still there sitting at the table gossiping. When I’m dwelling something heavily the light will flick raptly where ever i am. I can’t see her but i feel her. Crazy?
I surprised that they reopened a case because of a visitation from a ghost. But I do believe in the power of prayer.
Great Article, I wouldn’t consider Zona as a ghost in that situation, but Shue got what he deserved.
Creepy!! Not sure I believe that a ghost can give her own testimony though…
The state ought to be embarrassed by this instead of celebrating it since their own investigators needed a vision from the mother to even look into the case further, and ultimately solve it.
I surprised that anyone was able to get a case reopened because of a vision. I fell like in most cases that person would just be considered insane and their testimony would not be respected in a courtroom.
I am shocked, as well, that a case would reopen due to a dream
This is bizarre since it occurred so close to the twentieth century. What’s even stranger is that the case was opened and the accused actually convicted.
Our legal system has enough problems without allowing ‘paranormal testimony’. I hardly understand how a vision or ghostly testimony could be considered admissible by any self-respecting lawyer. This case was a mockery of justice.
I’m curious as to why the statue was erected. It is an interesting story though so perhaps it was meant to be used for a talking piece. I’m also curious/concerned about a modern doctor using the term “everlasting feint”. I’m not a doctor or anything, but that terminology sounds a little outdated…..
I’m shocked a court would take the word of a ghost over actual evidence. Doesn’t seem like very legal actions! (but it was 1897)
I find it odd that a court would allow a ghosts testimony to be admitted. I guess it just hows how the times have changed.
What was the point of reopening the case?
I think it’s so strange that her mother had a dream or a vision at night whatever that her daughter’s neck was broken. And then when the case was re-opened and an autopsy was done it was proven that’s what actually happened.
A ghost in court… Yeah right, now I’ve heard it all. Now-a-days that would never fly.
What in the world? The fact that they still treat this like it was a success is too much to handle.
It was a dream! OMG seriously.
Wow, I love paranormal movies and things so this was very interesting. It makes me sad that we still have people today that do things like this. This would actually make a really good movie. The ‘ghost’ in court is a little strange to me I don’t think that it would actually be taken into consideration in court today, the judge would probably just laugh in your face.