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American Monster: Abuse of Power episode 5 explores the story of Arthur Schrimer, a former pastor at Reeders United Methodist Church, located in northeast Pennsylvania. Arthur Schrimer was convicted of the murder of both of his wives.
It was in 1999 when his first wife, Jewel Schirmer, was found dead at the basement steps of their house in Lebanon. Reportedly, Schirmer's second wife, Betty Schirmer, passed away in an accident that looked like a car crash.
However, when authorities began investigating the murders, they found that the American Monster: Abuse of Power subject Arthur Schrimer was behind the murders. Episode 5, titled Without a Prayer was released on June 15, 2025, at 10 p.m. EST. Viewers can watch the episodes on Hulu and Prime Video.
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What is the story of the American Monster: Abuse of Power subject, Arthur Schirmer
The death of Jewel Schirmer
As reported by Penn Live, back in 1999, Arthur Schrimer worked as a pastor for the Bethany United Methodist Church in Lebanon. As reported by the Pocono Record, it was back on April 24, 1999, when Arthur's first wife, Jewel Schirmer, died of traumatic brain injury.
Reportedly, the previous day, Jewel Schirmer was found in a pool of blood at the basement stairs of their residence in North Cornwall Township. Arthur Schirmer said that he came home after jogging when he discovered his wife.
As reported by CBS, Jewel had sustained many injuries across her face and body, including a fractured skull. However, the case was closed without any further investigation for a possible case of homicide.
The death of Betty Schirmer
As reported by Penn Live, after the death of Jewel, Schirmer moved to Monroe County. The American Monster: Abuse of Power subject, Arthur Schirmer, then started working as a pastor at the Reeders United Methodist Church. As reported by CBS News, it was on July 15, 2008, when both the pastor and his new wife, Betty, were in a car crash.
Arthur Schirmer told the police that his wife was suffering from severe jaw pain and he was rushing to the hospital. Suddenly, a deer came and he had to veer the car, which ended up crashing with another vehicle coming from the other direction.
The American Monster: Abuse of Power episode subject, Arthur Schirmer, said Betty was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown out of the car, and crashed into a guardrail. As reported by CBS, Betty was immediately rushed to the hospital. She suffered severe head injuries and was taken off life support the next day.
Investigation on the death of the American Monster: Abuse of Power victim Betty Schirmer
As reported by CBS, when authorities began investigating the accident, they suspected that the car crash was staged. Reportedly, Detective Jim Wagner was assigned to investigate the scene. The investigator revealed that when inspecting the accident scene, he found no skid marks. Additionally, no quick breaking attempts were made to avoid a potential collision.
The American Monster: Abuse of Power subject, Arthur Schirmer, claimed that the car hit the guard rail twice. However, the garage showed that the car was decelerating slowly. The most suspicious part was that even with the massive collision, no airbags were opened, and even the coins on the console weren't tossed aside.
Additionally, Detective Wagner noticed that there was a lot of blood smeared across the car, including the seat cushion of the passenger seat. This indicated that someone had intentionally smeared the blood. The detective finally concluded that Betty Schirmer was attacked, made unconscious, and then placed inside the car.
As reported by Penn Live, it was in October 2008, when a member of Arthur's congregation named Joseph Musante committed suicide in the office belonging to the pastor. During the investigation, authorities found that the American Monster: Abuse of Power subject was having an affair with Joseph's wife, Cynthia, who reportedly worked in the church as an administrative assistant.
The investigation into Betty Schirmer's death led Investigators to Arthur Schirmer's first wife, Jewel Schirmer. As reported by Penn Live, it was in 2010 when a cardiologist determined that Jewel Schirmer did not die of the fall. Rather, it was due to damage to the heart caused by brain trauma.
A biomechanical engineering firm was hired to create a dummy and test the way Jewel Schirmer fell down the basement stairs. It was concluded that the injuries on Jewel's body were inconsistent and were not a result of the fall. Soon, the case of the American Monster: Abuse of Power victim Jewel Schirmer was determined as murder.
As reported by ABC News, after investigating Betty Schirmer's death, it was concluded that the pastor was a part of it. Reportedly, the American Monster: Abuse of Power subject, Arthur, used a crowbar to hit her on the head. Betty was then placed in the seat of the PT Cruiser vehicle, and the murder was staged like an accident.
As reported by CBS News, it was in 2013 when Arthur was charged with the first-degree murder of Betty Schirmer. In March 2013, the Monroe County Court sentenced Arthur Schirmer to life imprisonment.
As reported by Lebanon Daily News, it was in 2015 when the American Monster: Abuse of Power subject, Arthur, was found guilty of the murder of his first wife, Jewel Schirmer. It was on December 16, 2015, when Arthur was sentenced to 20 to 40 years, which was added to his earlier life sentence.
Check our other articles to learn more details about other cases on American Monster: Abuse of Power.
