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The murder in the Suzanne Schoff case is connected to a contentious custody dispute in Pennsylvania. Frank Schoff III, a 27-year-old proprietor of an auto repair shop in Fawn Township, was shot and killed in 2003. Frank's ex-wife, Suzanne Schoff, was later found guilty of planning the crime with her friend Terry Winger Jr. Winger was convicted of shooting Frank.
The case was brought about by Frank's failing marriage, an affair, and numerous allegations of child abuse. Prosecutors exposed a scheme involving deceit and manipulation motivated by Suzanne's anxiety over losing custody of their young son. Wingler was given a life sentence after confessing and testifying against her.
The case is explored in Oxygen's Snapped: season 17, episode 11. Viewers can watch the episode re-airing on September 22, 2025, on Oxygen.
Background and family dynamics of Suzanne Schoff
Born in 1976, Suzanne Lucy Schoff wed Frank Albert Schoff III in the mid-1990s. Together, they had a son and resided in Baltimore, Maryland. Born in 1975, Frank first worked as a mechanic before starting his own auto repair business in York County, Pennsylvania's Fawn Township. He loved camping, fishing, and other outdoor pursuits.
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Their marriage was marked by ongoing conflicts, ultimately leading to separation. Suzanne began an affair with Frank's best friend, Terry Allen Wingler Jr., with whom she had a prior relationship and a daughter from before her marriage. This affair played a key role in ending the marriage.
The divorce involved a bitter custody fight over their son. Suzanne made multiple reports to the Baltimore City Department of Social Services alleging that Frank s*xually abused their child during visits. Investigations found these claims unsubstantiated, according to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. Despite this, the custody dispute intensified, with a court decision granting Frank sole legal and physical custody on July 7, 2003, which was set to take effect on August 7, 2003.
Suzanne expressed distress about potentially losing her son, telling others she might harm herself or the children if that happened.
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Timeline of events
The events in the Suzanne Schoff case unfolded over several months in 2003. Early that year, after ongoing marital issues, Suzanne and her mother started planning to have Frank killed, motivated by the custody battle. They approached at least three people, Robert Atkinson, Victor Tyrell, and James Gilmore, offering money, housing, or other incentives, but none agreed, as per the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
In July 2003, they recruited Terry Wingler, who believed Suzanne's claims about Frank abusing their son. Suzanne provided a .32-caliber handgun from her uncle in Virginia, along with bullets. She drove Wingler to scout Frank's shop in Pennsylvania and rented a gold-colored car for him.
On August 6, 2003, the day before the custody transfer, Wingler wore a ski mask, gloves, and a sweater, drove to the shop, and shot Frank multiple times around 2:30 pm while he worked alone. Frank died at the scene from gunshot wounds. Witnesses heard shots and saw the car flee. Phone records showed calls between Suzanne and Wingler that day.
Wingler returned the car and told Suzanne the job was done. On August 8, police questioned them at a restaurant in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Wingler confessed, implicating Suzanne and her mother. All were arrested and charged with homicide and conspiracy, as per the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
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Legal proceedings and outcome
The York County Court of Common Pleas heard Suzanne Schoff's trial, which ended on August 31, 2004. She was found guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree murder conspiracy. A social worker's report of unsubstantiated reports of abuse, eyewitnesses, ballistic evidence, telephone records, rental car records, and testimony from Wingler against the defendant under a plea agreement for third-degree murder and conspiracy were presented against Suzanne.
The defense used a defense of lack of specific intent, but the jury did not agree. On October 15, 2004, she was sentenced to life without parole for murder, plus 7.5 to 20 years consecutive for conspiracy. Wingler was sentenced to 20 to 40 years, the York Daily Record reported.
Suzanne Schoff appealed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court, alleging the absence of sufficient evidence and mistakes in admitting records. On November 2, 2006, the court upheld the conviction based on circumstantial evidence such as planning details, as per the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
Post-conviction relief petitions were submitted and rejected: first in 2008 (affirmed 2009), second in 2012 as untimely, third in 2016 for ineffective counsel (denied, affirmed 2017). The Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied further appeal in the 2018 VLex Case Summary. Suzanne Schoff is serving her sentence at SCI Muncy, Pennsylvania. The case remains closed with no recent developments.
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