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Reward offered in death of PHS graduate

Victoria Keup Schafer, 44, a photographer in Chillicothe, Ohio, died on Sept. 2, Labor Day, while taking photos at Hocking Hills State Park in Logan, Ohio. Schafer graduated from Parkersburg High School. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — A crime-solvers group in Ohio Monday offered a $10,000 reward for information about an incident where a former Parkersburg resident was killed when a log fell atop her.

Victoria Keup Schafer, 44, a photographer in Chillicothe, Ohio, died on Sept. 2, Labor Day, while taking photos at Hocking Hills State Park in Logan, Ohio. Schafer graduated from Parkersburg High School.

The $10,000 reward was offered by Southern Ohio Crime Stoppers Inc. for information to help investigators with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

It is hoped the amount of the reward, which is substantial for the Crime Stoppers, would be an incentive for someone to come forward or cause them to remember seeing something unusual or someone off a path at the park, said Ernie Large, a retired deputy sheriff and president of the Crime Stoppers.

“That’s a pretty large amount,” he said.

The location from where the log came was a restricted area off the paths of the park, Large said.

Someone may have seen something, perhaps some people or kids off the path, or took a photo that has information that will aid investigators, he said.

The size of the log that killed Schafer would have required two or three people to move it, Large said.

Tips can be made at southernohiocrimestoppers.org, the organization’s Facebook page or by calling 800-222-TIPS(8477) or 740-773-TIPS(8477).

All calls are confidential, Large said. A caller receives a confirmation number, which is used to verify they submitted the information that led to an arrest and conviction.

The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. Labor Day.

Schafer was on the stairs near Old Man’s Cave taking senior photos for school when she was struck by the falling log.

The Department of Natural Resources doesn’t believe the log fell by natural means. Also involved in the investigation is the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our investigation is ongoing so that we gain a clear understanding of the events that led to the tragic death of Mrs. Schafer,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said in a statement. “We appreciate everyone who has reached out with information about what they saw on Sept. 2, but we still need the public’s help.”

Schafer was the owner and operator of Victoria Schafer Photography. She is survived by her husband Fritz Schafer and children John, Emily, Madelyn and Grace, mother Jennifer Keup of Cornelius, N.C., her father Rick Keup of South Carolina and sister Catherine Muth of Luxembourg in Europe.

“Victoria’s death has left a void for many in our town,” said Mike Throne, president of the Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce. “We are seeking answers for the Schafer and Keup families. Knowing what happened will help the family and the community better understand why Victoria was taken from us.”

Muth said her sister did “so much for so many people, yet made it look so simple and effortless.”

“She leaves behind Fritz, her husband of 21 years, and four teenagers,” she said. “Our family and the community of Chillicothe need answers about how and why this happened, and in doing so, we hope to bring awareness to prevent this senseless tragedy from ever happening to anyone else’s sister, mother, daughter, spouse, or friend.”

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