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Crimes in McDonald PA
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Washington County Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State Police
Barbara TAUCHER and Donald Walter TAUCHER
Murder-Suicide 1984
Nov. 7, 1984 McDonald PA Record-Outlook:
The bodies of an area remodeling contractor and his wife were found in a burning mobile home Thursday morning in an apparent murder-suicide.
The body of Barbara TAUCHER, 31, was found partially in the hall and bedroom of the mobile home on the Hickory-Cherry Valley Road about a
mile north of the Cherry Valley Dam. The body of her husband, Donald Walter
TAUCHER, 55, was found in the bathroom.
According to Washington County Coroner Farrell JACKSON, and
autopsy revealed that Mrs. TAUCHER had been beaten about the head, sustaining three skull fractures and multiple lacerations. Her husband died
of carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of the fire.
The bodies were discovered by Mr. Pleasant Township firefighters when they entered the burning mobile home about 7:20 a.m. Thursday. The
fire was reported by a neighbor who lived across the street from the
TAUCHERs.
Other area fire companies assisted Mt. Pleasant in putting out
the fire within 30 minutes after their arrival at the scene.
The State Police fire marshal determined that the fire was
deliberately set.
JACKSON told reporters that Mrs. TAUCHER was apparently savagely attacked about the head by her husband with a lamp. He ruled TAUCHER's
death a suicide.
State Police Cpl. Joseph HAMMOND said no one may ever know the motive behind the murder-suicide.
"We have no idea what caused him to attack his wife and start the fire, and unfortunately we never will," HAMMOND said. "We were led to
believe by neighbors and families that the couple got along quite well."
"There was no sign that Mr. TAUCHER tried to get out of the
burning mobile home," Cpl. HAMMOND said. "We are not sure if he became stuck in the mobile home when a draft pushed the fire back toward him and he
went into the bathroom in an attempt to escape the flames. Or he may have
gone into the bathroom to wait for the inevitable."
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