In West Virginia, a historical marker stands as a testament to one of the strangest criminal cases in American history. The marker reads:
Key points
“Interred in nearby cemetery is Zona Heaster Shue. Her death in 1897 was presumed natural until her spirit appeared to her mother to describe how she was killed by her husband, Edward. Autopsy on the exhumed body verified the apparition’s account. Edward, found guilty of murder, was sentenced to the state prison. Only known case in which testimony from a ghost helped convict a murderer.”
This eerie tale begins with the tragic death of Elva “Zona” Heaster, a young woman whose untimely demise in 1897 set in motion a supernatural chain of events that would shock the small town of Greenbrier, West Virginia, and result in one of the most unusual convictions in U.S. history.
A Mysterious Death
In October 1896, Zona Heaster married Erasmus Stribbling Trout Shue, who often went by Edward. He was a newcomer to Greenbrier, seeking a fresh start as a blacksmith. Zona, who had a child out of wedlock in 1895, saw marriage as a new beginning and ignored her mother’s strenuous objections to the union.
Their marriage seemed ordinary until the morning of January 23, 1897, when 11-year-old Andy Jones, an African American boy, discovered Zona’s lifeless body at the bottom of the stairs in her home. Andy had been sent by Edward to check if Zona needed anything from the store, but instead, he found her dead.
Edward’s Odd Behavior
It took over an hour for the local doctor, Dr. George Knapp, to arrive. By the time he got to the house, Edward had already dressed Zona in her Sunday best, a dress with a high collar and a stiff bow, and carried her upstairs. This was unusual for the time, as it was customary for women to prepare a deceased female’s body.
Edward’s behavior during the doctor’s examination raised eyebrows. He was overcome with grief, clinging to Zona’s upper body and weeping uncontrollably. The doctor conducted only a brief examination due to Edward’s grief and declared that Zona had died from “everlasting faint”—a vague diagnosis he later changed to “female problems”, referencing a condition he had been treating her for in recent weeks.
At Zona’s wake, locals noticed more of Edward’s odd actions. He seemed obsessed with keeping Zona’s body comfortable, propping extra pillows and rolling up a sheet to support her head. He also insisted on keeping people at a distance from the body, which led some to notice that her head appeared to move strangely when the coffin was shifted.
The First Clue: A Stained Sheet
After Zona was buried, her mother, Mary Jane Heaster, returned a sheet she had removed from Zona’s coffin to Edward. When he refused to take it, Mary Jane brought it home. She noticed an odd, rusty smell emanating from the sheet, and when she washed it, the water turned red, leaving a stain that would not come out. To Mary Jane, this was a sign of foul play. Grieving and suspicious, she began praying every night for a sign from her daughter.
The Ghostly Visitations
Four weeks after Zona’s burial, Mary Jane’s prayers were answered—by Zona’s ghost. For four consecutive nights, the spirit of Zona visited her mother in her dreams. Zona revealed that Edward had been abusive throughout their short marriage and described the night she died in vivid detail. On the night of her death, Edward had flown into a rage, thinking dinner wasn’t ready. He strangled her in his fury, breaking her neck. As proof, Zona’s ghost dramatically turned her head 180 degrees during the dream, showing her broken neck to her mother.
Convincing the Authorities
Shaken by these spectral encounters, Mary Jane Heaster went to the local prosecutor, John Alfred Preston, and relayed the ghost’s story. Although skeptical at first, Preston was also aware of the rumors circulating about Edward’s peculiar behavior. Preston ordered an autopsy of Zona’s body.
In February 1897, Zona’s body was exhumed and an autopsy was conducted. The examination confirmed Mary Jane’s claims—Zona’s windpipe had been crushed, and her neck was broken. The cause of death was officially ruled as strangulation.
Unraveling Edward’s Past
With the autopsy results, Preston began investigating Edward’s past. He discovered that Edward had been married twice before. His first wife divorced him due to abuse, and his second wife had died under suspicious circumstances. The details of Edward’s past, combined with the autopsy findings and Mary Jane’s testimony, were enough to arrest him for murder.
Despite Edward’s attempts to deflect blame—at one point, he even suggested that young Andy Jones was the real killer—his guilt became apparent. In jail, Edward seemed delusional, bragging that Zona had been his third wife and that he planned to marry at least four more women before his death.
The Trial: A Ghost Takes the Stand
Edward Shue’s trial began in July 1897, and it drew considerable attention due to the involvement of a ghost. Prosecutor Preston avoided bringing up Mary Jane’s spectral visits, focusing instead on the physical evidence. However, Edward’s defense lawyer made a grave mistake during the trial—he cross-examined Mary Jane and attempted to discredit her by discussing Zona’s ghostly visits. This backfired, as Mary Jane confidently stuck to her story, and the jury found her to be a credible witness.
The jury deliberated and returned a guilty verdict, sentencing Edward to life in prison. Before he could be lynched by a mob, Edward was moved to the state penitentiary, where he died three years later in 1900.
The Legacy of the Greenbrier Ghost
The Greenbrier Ghost case is the only known instance in which testimony from a ghost helped convict a murderer. While the court may not have officially recognized Zona’s ghost as a witness, her mother’s unwavering belief in the spirit’s message played a pivotal role in securing justice for Zona.
Zona’s ghost was never seen again, perhaps finding peace after her killer was brought to justice. Meanwhile, Mary Jane Heaster lived until 1916, never recanting her story about her daughter’s ghostly visits. Today, the house where Zona was murdered still stands, a private residence steeped in the chilling history of one of America’s most unique murder cases.
