Megan Shaffer Found Guilty of 2nd Degree Murder

On Monday, March 19, Megan Shaffer, 21, of Ridgeley, W. Va. was found guilty of 2nd degree murder in the death of Alexander Stevens, 24, of Frostburg. The jury took about four hours to reach its decision at the Garrett County Circuit Court.

Stevens, a Frostburg State University (FSU) student in 2016, was found dead on Jan. 4, 2017 in the Savage River State Forest in Garrett County off Pine Swamp Rd. He was found naked, with his throat slashed, at the bottom of a cliff with an approximate 30 to 40 foot drop. It was later determined by the state medical examiner that the case was a homicide.

In September of 2017, Shaffer, also a previous FSU student, was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and assisting another person to commit or attempt suicide in the death of Alexander Stevens. The warrant for Shaffer’s arrest was served on Sept. 14, 2017.

In December, Shaffer pled not guilty to each count.

Judge Ray Strubin revoked Shaffer’s $100,000 bond after the jury verdict. She is currently in the custody of the Garrett County Sheriff’s Department. Shaffer’s sentencing will be decided and released at a later date.

Updated on March 31, 2018: According to the Cumberland Times News a pre-sentence investigation has begun, now done by the Division of Parole and Probation.  This investigation will take approximately 60 to 90 days, and then sentencing is generally within 30 days.  At the conclusion of sentencing there is a 30 day period to file an appeal to the Court of Special Appeals. 

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