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What happened to Sarah Greenhalgh? Details explored ahead of People Magazine Investigates on ID

Modified Oct 28, 2024 18:28 GMT

ID has launched season 8 of People Magazine Investigates and the show features the story of Sarah Greenhalgh's mysterious murder in its second episode. Greenhalgh was found dead on the morning of July 9, 2012, and her body was discovered in a burnt-down cottage in Upperville, Va.

When firefighters recovered her body, authorities determined that she did not perish in the fire, but from a gunshot wound.

The murder of 48-year-old Sarah Libbey Greenhalgh rocked the usually serene town and even after a decade, her murder remains unsolved.

Greenhalgh's murder is the main focus of People Magazine Investigates season 8 episode 2, which premiered today, Monday, October 28, 2024.

Was Sarah Greenhalgh murdered? Details of her death explored

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Sarah Greenhalgh was a vivacious, outspoken, and adventurous reporter and photographer for The Winchester Star. When she did not show up for work on July 9, 2012, people suspected something was wrong.

That morning, firefighters found Greenhalgh's body inside her charred rental house in the tight-knit community of Upperville and investigations ascertained that her death was not due to the fire, but something more sinister was at play.

As per a search warrant affidavit unsealed in 2018, Greenhalgh was fatally shot and killed by a gunshot wound to the neck before her cottage was set intentionally ablaze with lighter fluid to hide any evidence.

Before her death, she left a cryptic message on Facebook. Officials believe that was the last thing she ever wrote. Sarah Greenhalgh wrote on Facebook at 11pm:

“Going to be sleeping with the window wide open. Now if bat-sh-- crazy boy would just leave me alone … will get some much-needed rest because tomorrow is Monday and I got a ton of work to do.”

This piece of information proved crucial for officials in the investigation. It was important for the authorities to find out who the person Sarah was talking about was.

This “boy” turned out to be John Kearns, a 50-year-old auto body worker, who was dating Greenhalgh at that time and the couple was seen arguing the night before.

What happened between Sarah Greenhalgh and John Kearns?

Greenhalgh had driven to Kearns’ Gaineville apartment to see him the night before and the neighbors stated that they heard the two yelling at each other during a heated argument.

Upset about this, Greenhalgh had emailed Kearns at around 10 pm that night saying she had always been there for him. According to the affidavit, she also wrote:

"Based upon what he had told her, she could 'go away for 25 to life as an accessory' due to her knowledge of his admissions of wrongdoing to her,"

When Kearns was questioned, he said that he believed Greenhalgh had committed suicide. He was named as a suspect in the affidavit by the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office and significant injuries were also observed on his wrists which he claimed were from martial arts training.

However, no evidence of arson or the “violent struggle” that Greenhalgh was in before her tragic death was found on Kearns' person. John Kearns was never arrested or charged in this case

Even a decade after Greenhalgh’s murder, the police have not made any arrests. But her fellow reporters have not given up on her and continue to cover the case so that it creates some accountability to get the case prosecuted.

Catch Sarah Greenhalgh’s story on People Magazine Investigates on Investigation Discovery.