Pennsylvania man, afraid of being ‘eaten,’ accused of murdering girlfriend after paranormal meter reading ‘scared’ him

A Pennsylvania woman was murdered in January last year, and her boyfriend, Jared Wolfe, said after a night of heavy drug use, he killed her when a paranormal meter reading “scared” him, and he thought she and their friends were plotting to eat him.

According to Scranton’s WVIA, Wolfe and the woman who was killed, Jane White, his girlfriend of seven years, were smoking marijuana with friends at their house when Wolfe tested a statue in his friend’s apartment with a “paranormal meter.” Paranormal meters are used to detect paranormal activity like ghosts, and according to Wolfe, 46, he received a very high level of paranormal activity from the statue and got scared. Wolfe also admitted he was unsure what or how much he, his girlfriend, and their friends had smoked that night. So far, no one else has been charged with any crimes.

Around that same time, Wolfe told police he grew paranoid, thinking a friend might put “a white rag with something on it over his mouth with the intent to harm him,” and that White, also 46, and his friends were conspiring to kill and eat him. Wolfe said he panicked and ran from the house, retrieving a gun from his car. White followed him out of the house, and when she opened the passenger side door, Wolfe fired, killing her.

When asked why he didn’t attempt to help White, Wolfe reportedly told police, “I was too messed up.” He said he thought he was acting in self-defense, but police believe White was unarmed. When asked if White could have been getting into the car so they could leave together, Wolfe responded, “That’s a good question.”

Wolfe fled to his brother’s house

While White lay dead in the street, Wolfe fled to his brother’s house, told him what he’d done, and his brother called 911. According to Wolfe’s brother, Jared still had a gun in his hand when he arrived, and his brother retrieved a gun for his own protection. According to NorthCentralPA, Wolfe was arrested when police arrived at his brother’s home. EMTs tried to save White’s life, but it was too late, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to WVIA, synthetic marijuana and “multiple smoking devices” were recovered from inside the apartment where Wolfe and White had been that night, possibly explaining Wolfe’s reaction. Among other side effects, synthetic marijuana, more accurately called synthetic cannabinoids with street names like Spice, can cause aggressive and violent behaviors, psychosis, and paranoia, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.

According to Wolfe’s criminal docket, Wolfe is charged with murder of the first and third degree, aggravated assault, misdemeanor simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and felony counts of firearms to be carried without a license. Wolfe did not have a concealed weapon permit for the gun in his vehicle. According to PennLive, on Feb. 5, a Pennsylvania judge said Wolfe would stand trial on all charges related to the case. Multiple reports have said Wolfe’s will likely mount a mental health defense.