In the quiet of a Monday afternoon in Washington Township, Westmoreland County, a 66‑year‑old woman’s life was discovered within the troubling confines of a parked car—her body covered by blankets and tucked inside a duffel bag. What should have been an ordinary day became a harrowing investigation when law enforcement found the vehicle at about 2 p.m. on the 2500 block of Turkey Ridge Road.
The woman was identified as Jacqueline Pryber. Authorities say her death triggered a homicide investigation involving both Westmoreland and Allegheny County jurisdictions.
According to police, the investigation revealed that the fatal incident did not occur in Westmoreland County, but in Plum Borough, Allegheny County. Detectives from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office requested assistance from the Allegheny County Police Department’s Homicide Unit after narrowing the location of the alleged assault.
The suspect, 62‑year‑old Shawn Higgins of Wilkinsburg, is accused of striking Pryber multiple times while they were inside his vehicle on the 9000 block of Saltsburg Road in Plum Borough. That violent encounter is believed to have led directly to her death.
Officers found the vehicle as described, parked outside a residence—its occupant motionless and concealed beneath blankets and inside a duffel bag. The discovery sent investigators deep into layered evidence, involving cross‑county work and forensic coordination.
Higgins was taken into custody and charged with criminal homicide. He is currently being held at the Allegheny County Jail as the case progresses.
Beyond the grim details, the tragedy raises questions about the sequence of events, motivations and connections between the victim and suspect—questions that authorities say they are working to answer as the investigation continues.
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