Suburban Phila. woman guilty in church slaying

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) - October 30, 2008 Bucks County authorities say 66-year-old Mary Jane Fonder of Springfield Township shot 42-year-old Rhonda Smith on Jan. 23. Prosecutors say Fonder had romantic feelings for the pastor at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church and was jealous Smith was getting attention from him.

The jury convicted Fonder on Thursday evening after a nine-day trial. Fonder did not testify and her lawyer, Michael Applebaum, presented no evidence. Applebaum told jurors that the circumstantial evidence left a reasonable doubt about who shot Smith.

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Information from: The Morning Call, http://www.mcall.com

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