RURAL VALLEY, Pa. (EYT) — The wife of an Armstrong County man who was fatally shot by his stepson has been arrested, marking the latest development in a case that began as a missing person investigation last fall.
According to court documents, 54-year-old Jennifer Kimberly faces charges of tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of her husband, 56-year-old David Kimberly.
The arrest comes three months after 33-year-old Cody James Weiland was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of his stepfather, state police say.
According to investigators, David Kimberly was reported missing on September 28, 2024, after his brother Marc Kimberly told authorities he hadn’t had contact with him for a week.
Jennifer Kimberly initially told investigators she last saw her husband on September 23 after telling him she wanted a divorce, police say. She claimed he left their home upset, taking a duffel bag, survival knives, and medication with him in his van.
The investigation took a turn on October 12 when police discovered David Kimberly’s van over an embankment on Reefer Hollow Road in Plumcreek Township, Armstrong County. The vehicle had been painted green and concealed in brush, with its license plate and identification numbers removed, authorities say.
When questioned about the van, Jennifer Kimberly “acted as if she was in shock and had no clue how it got there,” according to the criminal complaint. She suggested her husband might have placed it there “to mess with her.”
The case broke when police found Weiland in the basement of the Kimberly residence, despite his mother’s claims he wasn’t there. During questioning, Weiland confessed to shooting his stepfather on September 23, police say.
According to state police, Weiland shot Kimberly at a residence on Reefer Hollow Road before moving the body to a remote location in Jefferson County, where it was later recovered.
Jennifer Kimberly later admitted to knowing her husband wasn’t missing and helping her son conceal evidence, according to court documents.
Weiland remains in Armstrong County Jail on charges including criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and making false reports to law enforcement.
Jennifer Kimberly is also being held in Armstrong County Jail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 11, 2025.
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