Community Corner

Revenge for Insurance Fraud Scheme Was Alleged Motive in Shooting

All five victims in Renninger Road home were shot in the head

A murder suspect who led police on a manhunt for much of the weekend and was later killed by SWAT team gunfire apparently lived in Pottstown.

Mark Richard Geisenheyner allegedly shot Paul Shay and his wife Monica, Joseph Shay, Kathryn Erdmann and her son Gregory in a Renninger Road house in Douglass Township, Montgomery County on Saturday.

Joseph Shay, 43 of Yarmouth, Mass. and New York, N.Y.; and Gregory, 2, were shot in the head and killed. 

Find out what's happening in Montgomeryville-Lansdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Kathryn Erdmann, 37 of Fall River, Mass. was also shot in the head.

The Renninger Road house owners Paul Shay, 64 and Monica Shay, 58 of New York, N.Y. also suffered gun shot wounds to the head.

Find out what's happening in Montgomeryville-Lansdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Monica Shay remains hospitalized in critical condition. Erdmann and Paul Shay, who are hospitalized and expected to survive, were able to speak to investigators who searched for Geisenheyner.

A background search on Geisenheyner shows he lived on Hanover Street in Pottstown at some point, as well as several other Pa. spots including Downington, Wallingford and Philadelphia.

The Pennsylvania Lottery’s website also lists a Mark Geisenheyner of Pottstown as a $1,000 winner of its Millionaire Monopoly game. Lottery officials were unavailable to provide additional information on Monday.

The shootings could be the result of a plan concocted nearly three months ago by Geisenheyner, who sought revenge against Paul Shay, said Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman.

"We are investigating reports that (Geisenheyner) was involved in an insurance fraud scheme with one of the victims, and that was the motive for the murder," Ferman said in an interview with Patch on Monday.

Statements made by “multiple people” to the district attorney’s office uncover Geisenheyner’s plan to kill Paul Shay.

"The killer told people from the time he got out of prison 15 months ago that he had been involved in a scheme with Paul Shay and was seeking revenge against him," said Ferman.

"Three months ago he started to plot a particular event, where he would break into the home and potentially hurt Mr. Shay and steal from them,” she said. 

Ferman pointed out that while Geisenheyner reportedly told others about the alleged insurance fraud scheme, there is currently no evidence to support the story.

"I don't know if it's true or not, which is why we're investigating. We do not have evidence that any of this is true, beyond that it's what he told to many different people," said Ferman. "We're not making any statements that these things, in fact, ever happened."

Geisenheyner, who was killed by a SWAT team after a six-hour standoff, has an extensive criminal history dating back to the 1970's, she said.

Charges and arrests include multiple counts of robbery, burglary, theft, and "other crimes related to deceit," Ferman said.

"For the better part of the past 20 years, he's been in various state prisons," said Ferman, adding that investigators have been unable to locate Geisenheyner's home address. "He went to his friend or acquaintance's residence last night, but we do not know where he has been living," said Ferman.

Ferman also confirmed that Geisenheyner had a vehicle or transportation of some sort, but she was unsure how he eluded police and traveled from Montgomery to Delaware counties.

Geisenheyner was apparently determined to carry out his plan.

“It's very clear that in the mind of the killer, the motive for his crimes was revenge against Paul Shay,” Ferman said.

to see our previous reports.


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