LANCASTER, Pa. — The formal arraignment for a Columbia man who is accused of raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl in February gets underway today.
39-year-old Jason Shackelford will appear in Lancaster County Court today to receive an indictment of the exact charges lodged against him by the Commonwealth.
Columbia Borough Police filed a number of charges against Shackleford including:
One first-degree felony count of rape of a child
Two first-degree felony counts of involuntary deviated sexual intercourse
One second-degree felony count of strangulation
Criminal homicide
Lancaster County Detectives also filed two first-degree felony counts of rape, two first-degree felony counts of involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, and four second-degree felony counts of sexual assault against Shackelford.
The charges were filed following the autopsy of 12-year-old Elaina Smith by the Lancaster County Coroner's Office, which confirmed she died of strangulation and had signs of sexual abuse.
The Columbia Borough School District, where Smith attended as a 7th grader, released the following statement regarding her death:
According to police, during Shackelford's initial interview, he admitted to raping and killing Smith, on the night of Feb. 8 into the morning of Feb. 9 at a home along the 500 block of Avenue H in Columbia.
Shackelford allegedly told police that he attempted to hide the girl's body in a basement freezer.
During the initial search of the home by the Columbia Borough Police Department, officers reportedly discovered the body of a juvenile teen inside a basement chest freezer. Authorities confirmed the body to be that of Smith, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Shackelford waived his right to a preliminary hearing and will appear for a formal arraignment at Lancaster County Courthouse today.
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