Pocono News Section

New Details Emerge About Snyder Co. Murder

New Details Emerge About Snyder Co. Murder - Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at 8:49PM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008 @08:49pm EST
WEST PERRY TWP., SNYDER COUNTY- Police have made an arrest just over a week after a West Perry Township man was shot to death on his own front porch. Officials say this shooting marks the first non-vehicular homicide in Snyder County in over a decade.

It all happened in rural West Perry Township, just outside of Richfield. According to arrest papers, during the daytime hours of March 22nd, Travis Graham got into a verbal argument with his girlfriend, who is the stepdaughter of the victim, 46-year-old Jeffrey Stock. Details of that argument are not being made public.

But we're told Graham then took a gun from a closet in his residence and drove out to Potato Valley Road, some 200 yards from Stock's home. Police say Travis Graham used a high-powered rifle with a scope to target Jeffrey Stock as he smoked a cigarette on his front porch on the night of March 22nd.

Snyder County District Attorney Michael Sholley said, "Graham later attempted to destroy the gun by melting it with a torch. The gun remains and the scope have been recovered. Graham was charged with an open count of criminal homicide."

Police say they were able to key in on Graham after questioning the victim's stepdaughter, who again was also Travis Graham's girlfriend. She told them during an interview Monday that Graham admitted the crime to her.

PA State Police Trooper Matthew Burrows said, "Through the efforts of the Pennsylvania State Police and through their investigative questioning, then the arrest did take place here at the barracks."

No specific motive for the shooting has been released, but Snyder County D.A. Michael Sholley praised the combined work of State Police investigators from four different barracks. "They worked diligently and tirelessly for the past week throughout this entire investigation and this arrest was the result of their professional efforts," he said.

Travis Graham was also convicted on a felony charge of corruption of a minor back in 2001. He is behind bars at the Snyder County Prison until his preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for Thursday, April 10th, at 2:00pm.