On April 10, 2015 at his scheduled arraignment, Phillip Greenhowe pled guilty to the first degree murder of his wife, Shalamar Greenhowe.  In the early morning hours of January 9, 2015, Greenhowe strangled and repeatedly stabbed Shalamar Greenhowe in the City of Harrisburg.  This was done while there were two children, a two year old and a seven year old, present in the residence.  After murdering Shalamar, Greenhowe dropped the two children off at his place of employment.  After dropping of the children, Greenhowe went to a residence in Swatara Township where his other children resided.  Once there, he burned his son’s face with a cigarette, telling the child that this would ensure that his son would always remember him.  The body of Shalamar was discovered on January 10, 2015 after she had been reported missing by her family.  Officers from Harrisburg Bureau of Police and Swatara Township Police Department went to the last known residence of Greenhowe to attempt to serve a warrant for the incident out of Swatara Township.  At this time is when the police discovered Shalamar’s body under the bed in the master bedroom.  Several days later, Greenhowe was apprehended in Atlanta, GA after stabbing a man several times in the back.  Greenhowe subsequently waived extradition and was returned to Pennsylvania for prosecution.

The District Attorney’s Office credits the efforts of Harrisburg Bureau of Police, Highspire Police, Swatara Township Police and the Dauphin County Crisis Response Team for their coordinated response which led to one of the swiftest investigations/prosecutions in Dauphin County. Det. Ryan Neal, HPD, was the arresting officer.

Chief Deputy Jennifer Gettle reflected in the courtroom that the collateral devastation to the victim’s family was evident when her and Deputy District Attorney Codi Tucker went to the crime scene on the evening of January 10, 2015.  When walking into the residence, there were children’s cartoons on the television, children’s toys about the living room and leftovers from the previous night’s dinner in the kitchen, obvious signs of the fact that the two children were mere feet from where the body of their mother was discovered.

President Judge Richard A. Lewis called Greenhowe’s actions “cold and calculating” as he sentenced Greenhowe to a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Greenhowe was represented by Chief Public Defender Brad Winnick.

Deputy District Attorney Tucker hopes that victims of domestic violence know that there are options out there to end the cycle of abuse and programs to assist them in leaving abusive relationships.  If you are a victim of domestic violence, call for help.