In the mist-covered hills of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, an eerie tale of murder and justice would unfold in 1897—a tale as chilling as the Appalachian nights and as mysterious as the fog that blanketed the region’s valleys. The death of Elva Zona Heaster Shue, a young bride with a troubled marriage, became more than a tragic passing; it evolved into one of the most unusual murder investigations in American history, one where a ghost’s testimony would play a decisive role in convicting a killer. Known forever as the “Greenbrier Ghost,” Zona’s story has captivated generations, blurring the lines between folklore and fact, and shining a light on a unique moment in legal history when the supernatural seemed to hold sway over the course of justice.

The Unfortunate Death of Zona Heaster Shue

Elva Zona Heaster, a 23-year-old woman from Greenbrier County, met and married a drifter and blacksmith named Erasmus (or Edward) Shue in 1896. Shue, who arrived in town in search of work, charmed Zona, and despite her mother’s reservations, the two quickly married. The young woman’s mother, Mary Jane Heaster, felt an immediate dislike for Shue—a reaction so strong it left her uneasy from the moment she laid eyes on him. Her disquiet would only deepen after her daughter’s sudden death less than a year later.

On the cold winter morning of January 23, 1897, a young boy sent by Shue to deliver errands found Zona’s lifeless body at the bottom of the stairs in the home she shared with her new husband. Zona lay stretched out, one arm at her side, the other resting across her abdomen, her legs together, her head slightly askew. Horrified, the boy ran to tell his mother, who promptly contacted Dr. George Knapp, the local physician and coroner.

Shue’s behavior struck many as odd from the beginning. He cradled Zona’s body, weeping inconsolably, refusing to allow the doctor to conduct a thorough examination. Shue’s grief-stricken theatrics and insistence on dressing Zona himself—a task customarily left to the women in the community—added to the peculiarity of the situation. Against tradition, he dressed her in a high-necked dress with a stiff collar and a scarf around her neck, supposedly her favorite. Dr. Knapp, limited in his examination by Shue’s resistance, observed faint bruising on her neck but declared her cause of death to be “everlasting faint,” a Victorian euphemism often attributed to heart failure or stroke.

Visions of the Greenbrier Ghost

Zona was buried quietly in the nearby Soule Chapel Methodist Cemetery, but for her mother, Mary Jane Heaster, peace was elusive. Mary Jane’s instinct told her that her daughter’s death had not been natural, and she grew increasingly convinced that Shue had played a hand in it. She prayed fervently for answers, and, as the story goes, she received them—in the most unusual of ways.

Over the course of four nights, Zona’s spirit reportedly appeared to her mother in vivid dreams. Mary Jane claimed that the ghost of her daughter revealed the truth of her death: Shue, violent and controlling, had murdered her in a fit of rage after she failed to cook meat for his supper. In a final act of anger, he had twisted her head until her neck snapped. Zona’s ghost demonstrated how her neck had been crushed and how her windpipe had been severed. The spectral figure even allegedly showed Mary Jane the precise injuries, the ghostly face turning until it looked backward.

Mary Jane took these supernatural revelations as undeniable proof of her daughter’s murder. Armed with this ghostly testimony, she sought out the county prosecutor, John Preston, and insisted on a formal investigation. Preston, though skeptical, listened to her impassioned account of the nightly visions and ultimately decided there was enough suspicion to warrant further inquiry.

An Exhumation and a Shocking Discovery

Preston reopened the investigation, and on February 22, 1897, Zona’s body was exhumed. The community gathered with trepidation, and the procedure was conducted in utmost secrecy to minimize the distress to the family and the possibility of scandal. Dr. Knapp, who had originally declared Zona’s cause of death, led a more thorough post-mortem examination, unimpeded this time by Shue’s interruptions.

What they discovered seemed to confirm Mary Jane’s visions. Zona’s neck was indeed broken. Her windpipe was crushed, and ligaments in her neck were torn. There were clear signs of strangulation, and the discovery that her neck had been snapped provided a chilling echo of Mary Jane’s ghostly account. Shue, who had been present at the exhumation, seemed unbothered, even confident, during the examination. But when the report concluded that Zona’s death was indeed a result of foul play, Shue was arrested and charged with murder.

The Trial and the Ghostly Testimony

The trial of Erasmus Shue began on June 22, 1897, at the Greenbrier County Courthouse. The case was heavily covered by local newspapers, with the haunting details stirring public fascination. The prosecution’s case was built on the physical evidence of Zona’s injuries and the suspicious behavior exhibited by Shue, particularly his haste in dressing the body, preventing a full initial examination, and insisting on a closed casket at the funeral.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the trial, however, was Mary Jane Heaster’s testimony. Though the prosecution relied heavily on the forensic evidence, Mary Jane was allowed to recount her experiences of Zona’s ghostly visits. In an unprecedented move, the court permitted her to describe the visions in detail. Defense attorney Dr. Rucker attempted to paint Mary Jane as a grieving, superstitious mother grasping at hallucinations. However, she maintained her composure, recounting the apparitions with unshakable conviction, stating that her daughter had returned from beyond the grave to reveal the truth of her violent end.

The defense attempted to use Mary Jane’s ghostly testimony to discredit the entire case, arguing that the prosecution’s reliance on supernatural accounts undermined its legitimacy. However, the judge advised the jury to consider the physical evidence presented and not be swayed solely by the ghostly visions. The forensic findings—the fractured neck and crushed windpipe—spoke volumes and could not be dismissed.

Verdict and Legacy

After deliberating for only an hour, the jury returned a verdict of guilty. Shue was sentenced to life in prison, narrowly avoiding the gallows. He died just three years later, in 1900, in the West Virginia State Penitentiary. Mary Jane Heaster’s visions had brought a murderer to justice, and the case became a testament to the power of a mother’s love and determination.

The Greenbrier Ghost remains a unique story in American legal history, the only known case where testimony from a ghost helped convict a murderer. Zona’s death and her mother’s supernatural visions became part of Appalachian folklore, blending history with the supernatural and cementing the tale of the Greenbrier Ghost as a chilling reminder of love and justice transcending even the grave.

Legacy and Impact on Folklore

The Greenbrier Ghost case highlights the intersection of law, belief, and folklore in late 19th-century America. The court’s decision to allow ghostly visions as testimony was highly unusual, yet it underscored the cultural weight given to spectral experiences in rural communities at the time. For many in Greenbrier County and beyond, Mary Jane’s story reinforced the power of the supernatural as a force for justice.

The case has since become a staple of American ghost stories and is studied by legal historians for its unique place in the annals of the court system. It reflects the values and beliefs of its time, a period when supernatural experiences were often woven into the fabric of daily life. The story continues to be told in Greenbrier County, where locals and visitors alike find themselves captivated by the tale of the Greenbrier Ghost.

References

Thornhill, Walter. The Greenbrier Ghost: True Tales from Appalachia. Morgantown: West Virginia University Press, 1978.

Lawson, Delores. The Strange Death of Zona Heaster Shue. Charleston: The History Press, 2011.

Hass, Deborah. “Ghostly Testimonies: The Role of Supernatural Evidence in American Trials,” American Legal History Journal, 1995.

Greenbrier Historical Society. Records and Case Files of the Greenbrier Ghost, Greenbrier Historical Museum, West Virginia.

Appalachian Folklore and Legends, Appalachian Studies Association, 2019.

Benedict, H. Bruce. “The Ghostly Accusation That Convicted a Killer: The Greenbrier Ghost Trial,” Historical American Court Cases, vol. 4, 2002.