Where is Mary Jane Fonder now? Philly Homicide subject explored

Mary Jane Fonder was a resident of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who shot a woman named Rhonda Smith inside a church on January 23, 2008. Miss Smith was a member of the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church for 14 years, cherished by other people of the congregation.

At the time of the incident, Mary Jane Fonder was 65 years old and quickly became a primary suspect due to her troubling history with the church, as noted by the pastor. Additionally, she was the prime suspect behind the disappearance of her father Edward Fonder III in 1993.

It was on April 1, 2008, when Rhonda Smith's murder weapon was retrieved from the shore of Lake Nockamixon. Subsequently, on December 5, 2008, Fonder was incarcerated to lifetime imprisonment.

As per an ABC news article, published on June 6, 2018, Mary Jane Fonder was reported dead due to cardiac arrest on June 4, 2018, at the State Correctional Institution – Muncy in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.

Season 1, Episode 7 of Philly Homicide titled Sinner and Saint, documents the entire case behind the investigation. The episode premiered on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 9:00 PM EST on Oxygen.

What is the story of Mary Jane Fonder?

Fonder was institutionalized when she was 16 (Image via Pexels)

Mary Jane Fonder was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Alice and Edward Fonder III on July 5, 1942. She spent her childhood in West Philadelphia with a sibling. Fonder began suffering from instances of emotional breakdown, which began when she was 8 years old.

She was enrolled in the John Bartram High School in Philadelphia but her academic performance suffered due to her mental health challenges. Mary Jane Fonder was institutionalized for one month at the age of sixteen when she tried to kill herself by consuming unusual amounts of a sedative called chloral hydrate.

Fonder dropped out of her school soon after and started taking little job gigs around ceramic studios, publishing houses, and departmental stores, which she continued for more than a decade before returning to her parents in 1987. A few years later, in 1992, Fonder's mother passed away, after complications from an amputation surgery.

Mary Jane Fonder's father's mysterious disappearance

Edward Fonder III's disappearance still remains a mystery (Image via Pexels)

After the death of his wife Alice, Edward Fonder III turned into depression, which indirectly deteriorated the relationship between him and his daughter. As per an article, from the official website of Bucks County District Attorney's Office, published on June 5, 2018, Edward Fonder III mysteriously disappeared from the Springfield Township residence, in July 1993.

Mary Jane Fonder shared the home with her father on Winding Road at that time. When the investigators inquired, she said that the front door was left open by her that day, and believed that her father went outside to take the paper, while she was sleeping. Fonder added that she woke up around 11:00 in the morning, but couldn't find her father anywhere.

Her story felt dubious to the investigators since 80-year-old Edward was inept at moving somewhere by himself, considering his degrading health and no access to money. As per an article on The Charley Project, published on October 12, 2004, Officer Kimberly Triol, from Springfield Township police retrieved disturbing things from the Fonder residence.

A bucket was found that was filled with towels, a mop, and a chicken, with pinkish water. Additionally, a dog retrieved from the refrigerator had been killed with unusual amounts of diabetes medication. Mary Jane Fonder was also found to possess a taser gun, which was suspicious considering the circumstances.

Why did Mary Jane Fonder murder Rhonda Smith?

Rhonda Smith was killed with a Point 38 gun (Image via Pexels)

Rhonda Smith was a 42-year-old church member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church for 14 years. She was doing part-time work as a receptionist. It was on January 23, 2008, when she was shot two times in the church. She was hospitalised, but couldn't survive due to the grave injuries she had sustained.

According to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office article, more than a decade ago, Mary Jane Fonder confessed her feelings for the church's Pastor. After receiving rejection, she grew increasingly jealous of Rhonda Smith for the attention she was receiving from the Pastor. Hence, Mary Jane Fonder became the very first person to come under suspicion, considering the Pastor's own testimony.

The authorities retrieved two key elements that further heightened their suspicion. First, on the day of the murder, Fonder had called the church beforehand, to know that Rhonda Smith would be working alone. Secondly, after the murder, the culprit drove to her hair appointment to wash off her natural hair.

Mary Jane Fonder was arrested by the authorities on April 1, 2008, when a Point 38 caliber gun was retrieved from the shores of Lake Nockmixon, located in southeastern Pennsylvania. During police interrogation, Fonder had accepted to have possessed the gun but claimed to have thrown it in the lake, more than a decade back in 1994.

However, when Forensic reports came out, it was found that the gun had been in the lake, very recently. It was on October 21, 2008, when the trial of Mary Jane Fonder began, and was backed up by a number of church authorities. By October 30, 2008, the jury found her guilty of the murder of Rhoda Smith, motivated by jealousy.

Two months later, on December 5, 2008, Fonder was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment. Though her attorney filed for appeals, in February 2010, they dropped all pleading requests. Fonder died on June 4, 2018, due to a cardiac arrest while serving her time in the State Correctional Institution in Muncy located in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.

Edited by Ameen Fatima