Season 8 of *People Magazine Investigates* has premiered, and the second episode prominently features the enigmatic murder of Sarah Greenhalgh. Her lifeless body was discovered in the ruins of a burned-out cottage in Upperville, Virginia, on the morning of July 9, 2012.
Investigations revealed that Greenhalgh succumbed to a gunshot wound rather than the fire, which initially obscured the circumstances surrounding her death.
The tragic murder of 48-year-old Sarah Libbey Greenhalgh deeply unsettled her typically peaceful community, and despite the passage of ten years, the case remains unresolved.
In the latest episode of *People Magazine Investigates*, which aired on Monday, October 28, 2024, Greenhalgh’s murder is at the forefront.
The Truth Behind Sarah Greenhalgh’s Death: Was It Murder?
As a spirited and adventurous journalist and photographer for *The Winchester Star*, Sarah Greenhalgh was well-known and liked in her neighborhood. Her absence from work on July 9, 2012, raised alarms.
That fateful morning, firefighters uncovered her remains within her charred rental home, prompting further investigation that confirmed her death was not accidental but rather the result of foul play.
A search warrant affidavit revealed in 2018 indicated that Greenhalgh had been shot in the neck before her cottage was set on fire with lighter fluid to eliminate evidence.
Hours prior to her death, Greenhalgh posted an intriguing message on Facebook. Officials suggest that this post was her last before her untimely demise. At 11 PM, she wrote:
“Going to be sleeping with the window wide open. Now if bat-sh– crazy boy would just leave me alone … will get some much-needed rest because tomorrow is Monday and I got a ton of work to do.”
This crucial detail led investigators to look into the “boy” she referred to in her post.
This individual was identified as John Kearns, a 50-year-old auto body technician who was dating Greenhalgh, and witnesses noted they had an argument the previous night.
Unraveling the Incident Involving Sarah Greenhalgh and John Kearns
On the night before her death, Greenhalgh traveled to Kearns’ apartment in Gainesville, where neighbors reported that a loud argument occurred between the couple.
Disturbed by the confrontation, Greenhalgh had emailed Kearns around 10 PM, asserting that she had always supported him. According to the affidavit, she expressed concern about the potential legal implications of his admissions to her:
“Based upon what he had told her, she could ‘go away for 25 to life as an accessory’ due to her knowledge of his admissions of wrongdoing to her.”
During questioning, Kearns suggested that Greenhalgh may have taken her own life. Notably, the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office named him as a suspect, especially after discovering injuries on his wrists, which he attributed to martial arts training.
However, no substantiated evidence of struggle or arson was found on Kearns at the time. Subsequently, he was never arrested or formally charged in connection with the case.
Even after a decade, law enforcement has yet to make any arrests in Greenhalgh’s murder. Nonetheless, her dedicated colleagues continue to pursue justice, advocating for the case to remain in public discourse to seek accountability.
Watch Sarah Greenhalgh’s heart-wrenching story unfold on *People Magazine Investigates* on Investigation Discovery.
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