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Either Maria Sanutti-Spencer or her father Anthony Rocco Franklin sat in a sniper's nest and shot toward Frank Spencer's home in Columbia County, according to the findings of the grand jury. Both have been charged in connection with his death. In addition, Sanutti-Spencer and Franklin each face charges of arson in connection with house fires of Frank Spencer's girlfriend and mother's home. Sanutti-Spencer has denied the charges. Franklin remains a fugitive.

(Sean Simmers | PennLive)

She's 49, and she coached her daughter's soccer team while spending her free time posting on Facebook about recipes for fruity ice pops. She's got two children – a boy and a girl – both of whom spent their childhoods bouncing back and forth between mom's and dad's houses in Columbia County outside Bloomsburg.

Maria Sanutti-Spencer is an educated woman, who earned a law degree in Georgia and a passing grade with the bar to practice there.

YEARS OF CONFLICT: Timeline of the case

She also plotted to murder her ex-husband execution-style and aided in the arson of the homes of his mother and girlfriend, according to a damning 56-page grand jury presentment outlining charges against the woman who at work earned the name "The Black Widow."

Maria Sanutti-Spencer exits a court appearance after being charged with murdering her ex-husband, Frank Spencer. Frank Spencer was killed in 2012 in Columbia County.

Prosecutors say Sanutti-Spencer and her father, Anthony Rocco Franklin, 72, made for a deadly team. Franklin is a fugitive, while Sanutti-Spencer is facing criminal homicide, conspiracy, arson, perjury and a litany of other charges.

Prior to being charged, Sanutti-Spencer was living in Lower Paxton Township. Franklin had lived in the Harrisburg area after his release from state prison in 2009 until he fled in August 2013.

At a court appearance last week just after charges were filed in connection with the 2012 homicide, Sanutti-Spencer denied she was involved in the killing of her ex-husband, Frank Spencer. When asked where her father had fled to, she claimed he's in South America, according to local media reports.

Sanutti-Spencer's attorney, Christian Hoey, didn't respond to a request for comment.

"She was obviously an educated woman," neighbor Al Cavallini said. "But there was just something about her. You can detect it."

After years of investigation and a grand jury convening, prosecutors believe they have a solid case against Sanutti-Spencer and Franklin, based on a pickup truck, a sniper's nest and the odd location of a Weimeraner named Mutley.

And maybe, like some in town suggest, it just took Maria Sanutti talking too much to too many people.

Killing in rural Columbia County

No one's lived in Frank Spencer's home since July 1, 2012 when he was killed on his porch and dragged into his home through the front door. There's still furniture in the living room, food in the kitchen, a broken window in the front of the home.

About 115 feet across the street and up a steep embankment is a tree in the shape of a "V."

It's where police say either Sanutti-Spencer or Franklin perched with a gun, waiting for Spencer to stand in the exact position they needed him to. Spencer was shot in the torso, and then again moments later in the back of the head with a different gun. Investigators say the killing took nine minutes total.

It's unclear if the weapons were ever recovered, but shell casings were found in the de facto sniper's nest days after Spencer was killed. He was found by a close friend two days after police believe he was killed.

On July 3, 2012 when police told family members that Frank Spencer had been murdered, Maria Sanutti-Spencer showed up at the home.

She didn't ask any questions.

Friends and neighbors of Frank Spencer say they weren't surprised in the least when Sanutti-Spencer was charged in connection with the slaying. In fact, some said they were relieved and even wondered why it took so long.

"I would like to hope that now that all this finally came out – it's not just a case of 'I'm ecstatic that Maria's behind bars now.' The important thing is that this never happens again," said Ron Romig, a longtime friend of Frank Spencer.

He said Frank was a strong, physical man, but his life revolved around his two children. He owned a junkyard and an auto parts business not far from his home, and according to his friends, was one of "the nicest people you would ever meet."

His children are living with his mother, Madeline Spencer, in Columbia County.

A pattern?

Frank Spencer knew he was going to die.

The 46-year-old told friends his ex-wife was planning something, and police had installed surveillance cameras outside his home just days before he was found shot dead.

A witness who testified to the grand jury said she saw Spencer at the Millville Carnival on June 30, 2012 – the night before he was killed. He told the woman "Blondie, I believe I'm as good as gone. She's got something brewing. So this may be the last time I see you."

It wasn't hard to surmise, according to grand jury testimony. Sanutti had systematically told friends, family and acquaintances that she would end Spencer's life, once later telling Spencer's friend, "When he was laying on the ground dying looking up, the last thing he saw was me before he died."

Anthony Rocco Franklin

Prior to Spencer's death, his mother's house was burned down. Later, his girlfriend's house was lit on fire. No charges were filed – until now – in connection with either of the house fires, though Maria Sanutti-Spencer had repeatedly told people in town that she and her father were responsible, according to the grand jury presentment.

Since the release of the grand jury's findings, Hemlock Township Police Department has been accused of not taking Frank Spencer's pleas for help seriously enough. Over several years, he'd made dozens of reports to police about his wife and father-in-law's threats.

Maria Sanutti-Spencer faced minor charges after a few incidents, but was never placed in prison for her alleged misdeeds.

Hemlock Township Police Department repeatedly declined to comment on the case, citing an ongoing investigation being conducted by Pennsylvania State Police.

Romig, one of Spencer's longtime friends, said the local police department in rural Columbia County is just as guilty for Frank Spencer's death as are the people who put a bullet in his head.

"She was allowed to break PFA's, allowed to burn the house down, burn the girlfriend's house down," Romig said. "Don't you think it's kind of ironic that the cops couldn't find enough evidence to arrest anybody on the first burn of the house, but now Frank's been dead two years, now there's enough that they can arrest people? Who didn't do their job?"

A series of unfortunate events

Frank Spencer and Maria Sanutti-Spencer were married in February 1997, and it wasn't long after that things started going sour.

In the late 1990s, Sanutti-Spencer would frequently tell co-workers at the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission that she would one day kill her husband, according to testimony from co-workers. One woman who worked at the commission called Sanutti-Spencer "The Black Widow."

Sanutti-Spencer was cited several times in 2006 with criminal mischief and trespassing near the Millville Road home where Frank Spencer's mother was living. Those cases were resolved with small fines. Frank Spencer filed for divorce shortly thereafter.

Another time, in 2008, Sanutti-Spencer was charged with endangering the welfare of a child after she apparently was angered that her mother-in-law was attempting to pick up her daughter from school. According to testimony, Sanutti-Spencer threw her daughter in the car and tore out of the area without securing her.

Later that year, the charges were resolved, and the case was handled by then-First District Attorney Thomas Leipold. The more serious charge was dismissed and Sanutti-Spencer pled guilty to disorderly conduct.

Two months later, Leipold entered into the ongoing divorce case and represented Sanutti-Spencer.

In January 2010, in the early morning hours, the home on Millville Road was lit on fire while no one was home. After one day, a state trooper closed the case. He reported the point of origin was unknown and the ignition factor was unknown.

Later that year, the home of Frank Spencer's girlfriend, Julie Dent, was set on fire and sustained significant damage. Dent escaped out of a second-floor bedroom by jumping onto a porch roof and dropping to the ground.

The investigation of the fire was handled by State Police Tpr. Norman Fedder. He found evidence to suggest it was intentionally set and took statements from several individuals involved. No charges were filed, and the investigation was closed days before Fedder's retirement.

Fedder couldn't be reached for comment.

Through 2012, Frank Spencer continued reporting instances of threats coming from Sanutti-Spencer and Franklin. According to the grand jury presentment, little action was taken by police.

Putting together the pieces

The detailed grand jury presentment provides an in-depth look into how State Police Cpl. Shawn Williams put together the pieces after Frank Spencer was found dead.

His case was immediately referred to the state's Attorney General, as the District Attorney in Columbia County – Thomas Leipold – cited a conflict of interest. That conflict was likely that Leipold had once served as Maria Sanutti-Spencer's divorce attorney.

Two days before Spencer's body was found in Columbia County, his purebred Weimaraner named Mutley was found in Halifax, about 12 miles from where Franklin was living at the time, and 72 miles from the scene of his killing.

On July 3, 2012, Spencer's truck was located in Sunbury, a few blocks from a bar owned by Anthony Rocco Sanutti, Jr. – the son of Franklin and brother of Sanutti-Spencer.

The same day, Sanutti drove to the Millville Road home and encountered police. A trooper testified that Sanutti said she would not speak to them unless they had a warrant, and had no questions about the killing. A trooper testified Sanutti "exhibited no emotion when being told of Spencer's death."

Cpl. Shawn Williams, who investigated the case since the homicide, couldn't specify whether the weapons used to kill Spencer were recovered, citing an ongoing investigation.

He did say prosecutors feel like they have a strong case against Sanutti-Spencer and Franklin, who authorities are "making progress" in locating.

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