Woman Accused of Slitting Boyfriend's Throat After Claiming He Fell Off a Cliff
Garrett County Sheriff’s Office
FROSTBURG, MD — A Maryland woman who allegedly claimed her boyfriend plunged to his death from a cliff is now reportedly accused of slitting his throat and killing him.
Authorities have charged Megan Virginia Shaffer, 21, with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and assisting another to commit or attempt to commit suicide, according to The Cumberland Times-News.
In transcripts from a 911 call to Garret County emergency services obtained by The Associated Press, Shaffer claimed that she and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Alexander Stevens, had been hiking in Savage River State Forest on January 3.
She told police that Stevens fell off a 33-foot overlook — and she then wandered around lost in the woods until the next morning, when she called 911 from a nearby home. Shaffer was taken to a hospital, where she was treated for a broken shoulder and potentially broken back.
Stevens’ naked body was found the next day and, according to the newspaper, his throat had been cut several times. There were burned-down candles near his corpse, and Stevens’ cat in a cage.
Following a request by Stevens’ father, a judge agreed to stop the transfer of funds from a “transfer on death” account of his, opened just days before the incident, that listed Shaffer as the beneficiary. The transfer would have awarded $188,000 to Shaffer.
Shaffer was being held at the Garrett County Detention Center, but has been released after posting bond.
Jay Stevens, Alexander’s father, explained how his son’s expulsion from the Coast Guard in his senior year devastated him. Apparently, the students change rooms every September. Alexander, after drinking, accidentally entered the room of a girl who was staying in the room that had previously been his girlfriend’s. He had reached under her blanket and touched her before realizing his mistake. He reported the incident, due to the honor code, and was “disenrolled” from the academy as punishment.
Despite how upset Alexander was over this, and some ways he’d changed since then, Jay is sure that his son never would have wanted to end his life.
“He’d grown his hair longer … was reading about religions, thinking about his place in society,” Jay Stevens said.
“I never, never, ever, ever thought that he was suicidal … I know my son … He had all these plans to do things … had purchased all these toys for the cat.”
The following video shows Alexander Stevens singing with the United States Coast Guard Academy Glee Club in 2012.
