Third Person Charged in Death of Woman Killed by Log

Miranda Spencer faces obstruction of justice charge
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 16, 2020 7:12 AM CDT
Third Person Charged in Death of Woman Killed by Log
Victoria Schafer.   (YouTube)

As two teens await sentencing in the death of Ohio photographer Victoria Schafer, it has emerged that a third person has been charged in the case. Miranda Spencer, 20, was indicted on a felony charge of obstruction of justice on Sept. 25, the Chillicothe Gazette reports. Police say Spencer was with Jordan Buckley and Jaden Churchheus in Ohio's Hocking Hill State Park on Sept. 2 last year when the teens rolled a 6-foot log off a cliff, killing the 44-year-old mother of four. Buckley and Churchheus, both 17, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter last month. The teen boys were initially charged as adults with murder and reckless homicide, but they will be sentenced in juvenile court Friday morning as part of a plea deal.

The exact allegations against Spencer, who testified for the prosecution in both cases, have not been released, People reports. In interview transcript provided to the court she said the teens didn't think there was anybody under the cliff when they rolled a log off to be "funny"—but they weren't upset when they heard somebody had been killed. She said that as they left the park in her car, "Jaden and Jordan were in the back seat" and "they just, they didn't care," per WBNS. She told investigators Buckley laughed as he said, "I caught my first body at 17." ("I am truly sorry," Churchheus said in court last month.)

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