BELLEFONTE -Police say Mirinda Sue Boob conspired with Ronald Lee Heichel to murder her husband at the couple's Centre Hall home last Sunday - and that same morning the two text-messaged one another to establish a church-going alibi for the woman.
Heichel, 29, of Bellefonte, is charged with murder, conspiracy, aggravated assault and theft.
Mirinda Boob, 27, of Centre Hall, is charged with conspiracy to commit criminal homicide and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.
The two, arrested Thursday night by state police at Rockview following a five-day investigation, were arraigned Friday morning and are incarcerated in the Centre County Prison. Centre County Judge Bradley P. Lunsford refused any bail for Heichel and set bail for Mrs. Boob at $2 million.
Samuel Sherman Boob, 29, was found dead of two gunshot wounds at the family home, 383 Tusseyville Road, on Sunday morning. The Centre County Coroner ruled his death was murder.
The criminal complaint filed by state police offers no explanation of any relationship that might exist between Heichel and Mrs. Boob.
According to the affidavit of probable cause:
On Sunday, Aug. 23, at about 8 a.m. Samuel and Mirinda Boob awakened and made plans to attend church in Penns Valley. As Mirinda was getting the children ready for church her husband walked outside the residence and into his garage where he encountered Heichel, who lay waiting armed with a shotgun belonging to the victim.
Heichel shot Boob once in the left side of his chest as the victim stood near the garage entryway. After being shot once the victim stepped out of the building and fell to the ground. Heichel followed the victim out of the garage and fatally shot the victim again the the left midsection of the back. The victim died almost instantly and Heichel departed the scene in an unknown direction with the victim's shotgun.
Sometime prior to the shooting, Heichel arrived at the Boob property and secreted himself within the garage. Prior to his arrival and while hiding in the garage, Heichel engaged in text messaging with Mirinda.
The gist of the text messaging was to arrange with Mrs. Boob about what would transpire that morning. Specifically, the text messages indicate Heichel wanted Mrs. Boob to go to church because that would provide witnesses to her whereabouts. The defendant wanted Mrs. Boob to know he was hiding in the garage, told her to keep her children inside the residence, and wanted to know if the garage door would be unlocked.
During the course of the investigation, police said, Mirinda Boob provided both truthful and untruthful information. The relevant truthful information includes the fact that she responded to the defendant's text messages and provided him with specific information about Samuel Boob's whereabouts. Mrs. Boob acknowledges that the defendant's purpose that morning was to have a confrontation with Samuel Boob.
The Boobs children are ages six months to 10 years.
