‘Blood-curdling scream’ | Her body was never found, but now a man is charged with her murder
HARRISBURG, Pa. —
More than 20 years after a Pennsylvania woman disappeared, a man is being charged with her murder.
David Heck, 50, of Indiana, took then 20-year-old Sabrina Kahler swimming on June 24, 2002, before taking her to a wooded area near Lake Erie, where he raped and killed her, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Kahler’s body was never found.
Pennsylvania Attorney General
‘Previously reluctant witnesses’ testify
The charges come after a grand jury investigation done in conjunction with the attorney general’s office and the Erie County District Attorney. The grand jury returned a presentment this week recommending murder, rape and kidnapping charges against Heck.
Heck was charged and taken into custody at his home on Monday night.
“A totality of evidence that included key grand jury testimony from previously-reluctant witnesses led to a single conclusion — that David Heck raped and murdered Sabrina Kahler 24 years ago,” Sunday said in a statement. “This is a historical development that brings some answers for Sabrina’s loved ones and the Erie community, but it is not a day of celebration as we have not yet brought Sabrina home. Efforts will continue to answer that one remaining question of ‘where is she?’”
‘Blood-curdling scream’
The grand jury heard testimony from numerous witnesses, including Douglas Heim and Terry Kellerman, who knew Heck and were with him in the hours after the killing, according to the AG’s office. Their testimony and other evidence revealed a fuller picture. The following details and timeline were provided by the AG’s office.
Pennsylvania Attorney General
June 24, 2002 — Sabrina leaves homeSabrina was home alone at her family’s residence at 1203 East 3rd Street when David Heck arrived unexpectedly.Heck asked whether she wanted to go swimming. Because Heck was a cousin of Sabrina’s boyfriend, Christopher Lee, and had gone swimming with them before, Sabrina agreed.Heck drove Sabrina approximately 25 miles to Eagley Park.Confrontation at Eagley ParkAt Eagley Park, Heck became involved in a confrontation with his former girlfriend and several of her friends.Heck had recently been charged with assaulting his former girlfriend and was on probation at the time.Heck and Sabrina left the park and went to Tasty Twist, an ice cream shop.Heck contacted police to report the confrontation. Officers responded to Tasty Twist and saw Heck and Sabrina there.Sabrina is taken to Fairview Gravel PitsHeck then drove Sabrina to the Fairview Gravel Pits, a heavily wooded area containing several bodies of water.Witnesses later reported seeing Sabrina inside Heck’s Chevy Blazer near the gravel pits.Murder at Fairview Gravel PitsEvidence presented to the grand jury indicated that Heck raped and killed Sabrina at the gravel pits.A fisherman reported hearing a woman’s “blood-curdling scream.”Shortly afterward, a man matching Heck’s appearance, based on a photograph shown in a television news report, walked alone out of the woods and briefly spoke with the fisherman.Years later, Heck reportedly told a cellmate that he had raped and killed a girl at Fairview Gravel Pits and that she had screamed.After the killingHeck went to a bowling alley, where he recruited Douglas Heim to help move Sabrina’s body.Sabrina’s body was transported to Elk Creek Access and buried there. The area is prone to flooding and has changed a lot over the years. Police searches at and around that location have been ongoing.Heim later testified before the grand jury that he helped move and bury Sabrina’s body.Terry Kellerman, an acquaintance of Heck, testified that Heck made statements claiming he had killed a girl.Search for SabrinaIn the days after Sabrina disappeared, her friends and family searched for her and eventually reported her missing.Heck avoided people who questioned him about Sabrina’s whereabouts.Police later found him hiding beneath blankets at a friend’s home.I2009A court formally declared Sabrina deceased.
“Sabrina Kahler has never been forgotten. Her family never stopped remembering her, this community has never stopped seeking answers,” Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz said. “This case has represented more than an unsolved homicide. The homicide of a young woman leaves a lasting mark on the community.”
Sunday said his office’s recently formed cold case section collaborated with local investigators and the grand jury.
Pennsylvania Attorney General
Sabrina Kahler.