Warrant issued in bat beating

By Tricia Pursell
The Daily Item

June 03, 2009 07:49 am

— MIDDLEBURG — A warrant has been issued for a man accused of beating a Middleburg man with a baseball bat on May 1.
Two others have been charged as his accomplices.
David Alan Benfer is being held at Snyder County Prison, supposedly on a parole violation, according to a staff member in the office of District Justice Willis E. Savidge, Middleburg. A warrant has been issued for his arrest for the beating of Brian Douglas Epley, of Middleburg.
Epley’s wife, Shannon Marie Epley, 23, of 1115 Summit Road, was romantically involved with Benfer, a criminal affidavit states. She allegedly accompanied Benfer to her husband’s home at about 11:30 p.m., where Benfer allegedly struck Epley 10 to 15 times with a baseball bat and then 10 to 15 more times with his fist.
Shannon Epley and Benfer then left the residence, leaving Epley severely injured and alone with Shannon Epley’s two children, ages 1 and 3. Epley was later transported to Geisinger Medical Center.
A Penn Township couple reported to police that Shannon Epley had picked up Benfer from their residence at 11 p.m. May 1 and heard them discussing plans to make out in front of Epley in order to prove their love to each other.
Shannon Epley has been charged with criminal conspiracy and recklessly endangering another person.
After the beating, she and Benfer allegedly drove to the home of Desmond Patrick Loftus, 35, of 310 E. Market St., Freeburg, where Benfer took a shower to wash off blood, and then burned the shirt he was wearing because of blood stains. He allegedly asked Loftus to cover for him by telling anyone who asked that he arrived at Loftus’s home at 10 p.m. and stayed there the entire night.
Loftus allegedly assisted Benfer with burning his shirt. He has been charged with hindering Benfer’s and Shannon Epley’s apprehension by police.
A preliminary hearing for both Shannon Epley and Loftus is scheduled for June 19 at district court in Middleburg.