Skip to main content

Family of teen slain in ’68 appeals for info

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL RUBINKAM
Associated Press

READING, Pa. (AP) — Forty-six years after a Philadelphia teen’s disappearance and slaying, the girl’s family accepted her cremated remains Monday and asked for the public’s help in finding her killer.

A month after the body was positively identified through DNA testing, the family of Sandra Ann Stiver accepted her remains at a news conference at the Berks County coroner’s office near Reading.

“We’re sad and we’re hurt and we’re mad,” said Sandy’s sister, Hazel DeMoss, of Richfield, Ohio. “We want to know who did it.”

Sandy Stiver, 14, and her sister-in-law Martha Stiver, 17, disappeared in 1968 after running away from home in Philadelphia. Hazel DeMoss said both teens were “wild,” but the family doesn’t know what compelled them to flee that summer day.

Sandy’s body was found in August 1968, about a week after authorities said she had been shot several times with a .22-caliber weapon. Martha’s remains were recovered the following April about five miles away in French Creek State Park in Elverson. Her cause of death could not be determined, but authorities say she was also murdered.

Neither victim could be identified and no connection to the Philadelphia missing-persons case was made. The teens were buried in adjoining, unmarked graves in a potter’s field outside Reading, about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

The family moved to Ohio, but never stopped searching, and wondering.

“You’re always looking at somebody on a street corner and thinking it’s them,” said Tom Stiver, brother of Sandy and husband of Martha.

Decades later, Hazel DeMoss found information about two unidentified murder victims on the website of the Doe Network, a group of amateur sleuths that seeks to attach names to unidentified bodies, and suspected they might belong to her family members.

Authorities used an old cemetery map and ground-penetrating radar to locate the bodies. They were exhumed last fall and sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification.

Sandy’s elderly mother, Elizabeth Stiver, choked back tears and held a tissue over her mouth as Berks County Coroner Dennis Hess slid a metal box with her daughter’s ashes in front of her. The remains of Martha Stiver will be sent to her family separately.

“If there’s anyone out there with any kind of information from 1968, when these murders took place … please, it’s time to have a conscience and it’s time to fess up,” Hess said Monday.

State police say they are pursuing active leads.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote