In 1982, after graduating from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania, Darlene Sitler began teaching music to students in kindergarten to sixth grade. For thirty years she taught at the Northern Potter School District based in the tiny borough of Ulysses. Her husband, Gregory Eldred, taught music at the elementary school in Coudersport, the capital of Potter County, 20 miles south of Ulysses in the central part of the state. He was also a clarinet player with the Southern Tier Symphony. The couple attended the First United Presbyterian Church in Coudersport where Darlene played the organ and directed the choir. In April 2010 Darlene filed for divorce. The marital split became official four months later.
On Sunday, December 2, 2012, about twenty minutes into Pastor Evon Lloyd's service at the First United Presbyterian Church, Darlene's 52-year-old ex-husband, wearing a hooded beige jacket, entered the building through a side door. Eldred walked up the center aisle, and with a .40-caliber handgun, shot Darlene as she sat at the organ. The single shot caused her to fall into the organ pit. As the stunned congregation looked on, Eldred walked calmly out of the church. One of the churchgoers called 911 as several witnesses to the shooting ran to the front of the church to attend to the wounded organist.
About three minutes after the shooting Gregory Eldred walked back into the church. When Pastor Lloyd and others pleaded with him to put down his pistol, the music teacher threatened to shoot anyone who got in his way. "I want to finish this," he said. "I've got to see if she's dead." Eldred walked up to the organ pit and fired two bullets into his ex-wife. If she wasn't already dead these two shots killed her.
Several members of the congregation swarmed the shooter and in the course of subduing him he fired off another shot that didn't hit anyone. A Pennsylvania State Trooper assigned to the Coudersport barracks arrived at the scene shortly thereafter.
After state police troopers escorted Gregory Eldred out of the church the entire congregation climbed aboard a school bus and were driven to a place they were questioned by a team of police officers. (Very few murders are witnessed by this many people.) Eldred, charged with first-degree murder, was held without bond in the Potter County Jail.
On July 10, 2013, Gregory Eldred pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. The judge sentenced him to life in prison.
In April 2015, from his cell at the Forest State Correctional Facility in Marienville, Pennsylvania, Gregory Eldred petitioned the state court to withdraw his 2013 guilty plea on grounds that his attorney, Bill Hebe, had been ineffective counsel.
The Potter County judge denied Eldred's plea withdrawal petition.
In 2015, a woman who had witnessed Gregory Eldred murder his wife, under a victim restitution law, sued the convicted killer for $1,427, the money she had spent for counseling services. A judge awarded her the sum in late 2016. In January 2017, Eldred appealed the award on grounds this woman was merely a witness to a crime and not a victim as proscribed by law. He lost his appeal.
On Sunday, December 2, 2012, about twenty minutes into Pastor Evon Lloyd's service at the First United Presbyterian Church, Darlene's 52-year-old ex-husband, wearing a hooded beige jacket, entered the building through a side door. Eldred walked up the center aisle, and with a .40-caliber handgun, shot Darlene as she sat at the organ. The single shot caused her to fall into the organ pit. As the stunned congregation looked on, Eldred walked calmly out of the church. One of the churchgoers called 911 as several witnesses to the shooting ran to the front of the church to attend to the wounded organist.
About three minutes after the shooting Gregory Eldred walked back into the church. When Pastor Lloyd and others pleaded with him to put down his pistol, the music teacher threatened to shoot anyone who got in his way. "I want to finish this," he said. "I've got to see if she's dead." Eldred walked up to the organ pit and fired two bullets into his ex-wife. If she wasn't already dead these two shots killed her.
Several members of the congregation swarmed the shooter and in the course of subduing him he fired off another shot that didn't hit anyone. A Pennsylvania State Trooper assigned to the Coudersport barracks arrived at the scene shortly thereafter.
After state police troopers escorted Gregory Eldred out of the church the entire congregation climbed aboard a school bus and were driven to a place they were questioned by a team of police officers. (Very few murders are witnessed by this many people.) Eldred, charged with first-degree murder, was held without bond in the Potter County Jail.
On July 10, 2013, Gregory Eldred pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. The judge sentenced him to life in prison.
In April 2015, from his cell at the Forest State Correctional Facility in Marienville, Pennsylvania, Gregory Eldred petitioned the state court to withdraw his 2013 guilty plea on grounds that his attorney, Bill Hebe, had been ineffective counsel.
The Potter County judge denied Eldred's plea withdrawal petition.
In 2015, a woman who had witnessed Gregory Eldred murder his wife, under a victim restitution law, sued the convicted killer for $1,427, the money she had spent for counseling services. A judge awarded her the sum in late 2016. In January 2017, Eldred appealed the award on grounds this woman was merely a witness to a crime and not a victim as proscribed by law. He lost his appeal.
You should look into why the FBI had an open and on going investigation with Eldred. A search warrant at his residence had been conducted by the FBI prior to the shooting.Several Guns had been removed along with a computer. There is more to this story...
ReplyDeleteMy sister is a teacher in the Coudersport Elementary School and was also a teacher at Northern Potter for 20 years. She knew Darlene well and she like both Greg and Darlene. She said she often had recess monitor duties with Greg and he taught her son trumpet and guitar lessons. Both of them were much loved and highly respected members of their community.
ReplyDeleteMy sister told me that in recent weeks Darlene had been telling people that she was afraid of Greg. She said he was stalking her and she said she was afraid for her life. The entire community is in total shock over this story. How two such well-loved and highly regarded teachers could end up this way is incomprehensible.
Local reports say that the FBI was investigating him, although they do not disclose why. I'm wondering if that had anything to do with it.
ReplyDeleteHe was a child rapist and made pornography of the children he abused. One of the survivors of his abuse has come forward about it on tiktok.
Deleteunfortunately this is the second murder in Potter County since the summer of 2011...
ReplyDeleteThis guy used to be my music teacher back in elementary school when I lived there in fifth and sixth grade. He was a good musician, but he wasn't a particularly good teacher. He always seemed sad and depressed. This is just too weird.
ReplyDeleteThe FBI was removing equipment, etc. due to an addiction to pornography on the part of Eldred. Not just pornography, actually, but child pornography. As the former wife of someone with a pornography addiction, I can tell you that they are very defensive of their addiction and will go to extremes to protect their secret.
ReplyDeleteAnd this community wonders why our children are so messed up. This guy taught when I was a student. He was definitely different then, withdrawn. Distraught. I could tell this at the age of 10 and 11. It's a shame he didn't get help 25 years ago, and all of this had to happen. God rest her soul.
ReplyDeleteI was his student in 4th grade when it happened.
DeleteHe was my music teacher... :/
ReplyDeleteMe too bro. My name was Ethan Hayes. I believe I was in 4th grade at this time. (Now going into 11th)
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Gregory Eldred was a child rapist, and he did not act alone. The children he abused were drugged beforehand on the elementary school premises, with the involvement of several teachers and school staff members.
ReplyDelete