Who was Lisa Shuler? New York man Seth Larson charged with murder of girlfriend of 10 years
IRONDEQUOIT, NEW YORK: Police arrested 40-year-old Seth Larson, a New York man who fled to West Virginia after allegedly killing his 37-year-old girlfriend Lisa Shuler, who was found dismembered at their home.
Larson was found in West Virginia on Wednesday, June 3, after he called 911 to request an ambulance owing to an injury, Irondequoit Police Chief Alan Laird told reporters on Thursday, June 4. He has now been charged with second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and concealment of a corpse.
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Shuler's body was actually discovered late last month after her friend called in on the police because they hadn't been able to get in touch with Shuler for days. Following a welfare check, police were led to the discovery outside her home: Shuler's body had been dismembered. The police chief did not specify how Larson, who had been a person of interest in the case, was injured when he called 911.
Who was Lisa Shuler?
On May 25, Lisa Shuler, 37, was reportedly found dismembered outside the home she shared with Seth Larson in Irondequoit, New York, police said. Shuler and Larson were together for 10 years before she was killed. Initially, authorities had referred to it as a "suspicious death". Irondequoit is a suburb of Rochester in northwestern New York. Je’rel Lewis of Rochester, a high school friend of Lisa Shuler, was "shocked" to know of her death. "I just couldn’t believe it. Utter disbelief. I was shocked."
Describing Shuler as a great person, Lewis added she always had a positive spirit. According to local news report, the long-time friend of Shuler said, "She might have had a bad day, but you never would have known. That was one of the most important things that you can have in a friend, is being able to have someone that’s trustworthy, and someone that’s loyal, and she exuded all of those characteristics, honestly.
While police have not yet confirmed when she was killed, they said on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, that more human remains that were found at Durand Lake earlier in the week also belonged to Shuler. In addition to that, police said that Larson was in Maryland the day Shuler's body was discovered.
"He’s a person of interest because we have not talked to him and he lived at the location. He does need to be brought to justice," Laird said last week as the search for Larson went on. "The victim deserves this, the victim's family deserves this."
What happened that day?
Police say that they put out an alert for the blue 2011 Nissan Juke with New York plates that Larson was driving, starting a nationwide search for him. Apparently, they had just missed him the day Shuler's body was found. As per reports, Laird said that Larson was pulled over for speeding in Cumberland, Maryland at around 1 pm on May 25, which was at least four hours before Shuler's body was discovered.
The officer who stopped Larson eventually let him go. However, once it was discovered that Larson was actually a person of interest in Shuler's death, they contacted Irondequoit Police. Laird said that Larson faces charges of second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and concealment of a corpse. While officers did not reveal a motive for the murder or a cause of death, they are confident this was a homicide, said Laird.
Larson is currently being held in a West Virginia hospital, District Attorney Sandra Doorley said, and the police said the investigation is ongoing. "We’re not announcing the investigation is closed," Laird said during a press conference, "but we’ve been able to close some very important gaps in the investigation."
Chilling details
When Lewis found out more about the details of Shuler's death, it left them numb. "I started reading the words ‘dismemberment’ and stuff like that," said Lewis. "I shut down. I started shedding a tear for her and her family, and just couldn’t imagine what she would have been going through for the last moments of her life."
He is reportedly raising money for the family during this difficult time. "We’re going to fight and do whatever we can, and just hope and pray through this difficult time that they will be OK, and that they have our support."