Double murder in Perry County: Who killed Lynne Stansfield and Dale Wolf?

It was a misty, dreary night on Dec. 7, 1993, in Perry County. 

A man was driving home around 10 p.m. that evening when he saw a blaze, which he quickly identified as a house fire. 

The witness stopped at the house, trying to see if he could render any aid. However, he soon realized the fire was way out of his control. The good Samaritan didn't have a cell phone, so he traveled to a nearby residence to call 911. 

The fire department responded to the scene and discovered two bodies after extinguishing the flames. 

Lynne Stansfield, 46, and Dale Wolf, 43 were murdered inside their Penn Township home, then left to burn. They were located inside the left-hand entrance of the house, according to Corporal Kyle Tobin, who works in the criminal investigation unit at the Pennsylvania State Police Newport Barracks. 

Police say the crime happened between 10:00 p.m. on December 7 and 1:00 a.m. on December 8.

The crime appeared personal; Lynne was stabbed multiple times with a knife. Dale was shot in the back with his own long gun, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Then, the home was set ablaze to destroy evidence. 

"Anytime you take someone's life with a knife, there's close proximity to kill," Cpl. Tobin explained. "[Lynne] was stabbed multiple times in the head and neck area, that speaks for itself that if you're going to get that close and personal when you take someone's life [that there] was anger involved." 

However, despite the brutality that took place inside the walls, the home, 419 Linton Hill Road, is still occupied to this day. 

The owner? Paul Wolf, Dale's younger brother. 

"A lot of people asked me, 'How could you do that? How could you live there?' [I told them that] my brother was like my mother if anything... it was like having an angel sitting on my shoulder," he told FOX43 News. 

Paul was the youngest Wolf brother and Dale was the middle, being five years older, following their oldest brother, Butch. The boys' mother left when Paul was in fourth grade, amidst an ongoing divorce. "[Dale] would help me out through everything," Paul recalled fondly. 

Paul's mentor, Dale, had a seemingly normal, quiet life. He had been previously married but began dating Lynne following the divorce. It was the beginning of their long relationship. 

Lynne had worked as a beautician but was retired at the time of the murders. She was forced to give up the practice due to severe arthritis in both of her hands. Dale worked as a mechanic, however, due to a car wreck from several years ago, he suffered from occasional seizures. 

"Dale was on disability, Lynne was retired... they never did nothing to anybody," Paul explained. 

"One thing I've learned from this investigation [is that Lynn and Dale] were very good people. They've been described as 'salt of the Earth people' who did not have many enemies. It has been as much of a challenge to solve this case as it has been to find someone who would tell you a cross word about these victims," said Cpl. Tobin. 

Paul described the pair as easygoing, a couple who would help anyone. "If you had a problem, they'd help. They were just great people."

On Dec. 7, Paul was in Belgium. Word of his brother's death reached him on Dec. 8, but he wasn't able to get back into the States until three days later. 

When he arrived at the Perry County home, nothing was as he remembered. "Everything [at the house] was roped off, it was an unbelievable sight," he recalled. 

According to Cpl. Tobin, the home was severely burnt from the fire. It wasn't burnt to the ground, but there was extensive smoke and fire damage. 

The area where Dale and Lynne's bodies were discovered sustained substantial damage though, destroying what could have been crucial evidence. "It is our belief that the actor, in this case, did that with the intent of damaging and covering up evidence," said Cpl. Tobin. 

"[Those final moments] had to be horrible," said Virginia Mease, Paul and Dale's aunt. "They said Lynne really put up a fight, because she was almost decapitated. She had cuts on her arms from fighting. They caught Dale off-guard." 

At the time, all Paul could think, 'Who would do this? What happened?' In the days following the murders, rumors began to swirl, but, anyone involved with the killings remained free. 

"I distanced myself from a lot of people at the time," Paul said. "Everybody I walked into, it was like, 'Hmm.' We just couldn't figure out what happened." 

One piece of evidence troopers believe is related to the murders is a bike, found at the scene of the crime. It's speculated that the murderer traveled to the Penn Township home on the bike. 

"We've done a lot of investigative avenues to try and identify the person who was riding that bike, none yet have quite panned out," said Cpl. Tobin. 

As for the weapons used, the shotgun used to kill Dale was found inside the home. The knife used to kill Lynne has still not been positively identified, according to investigators. 

A year after the murders, a hand gun, which also belonged to Dale, was found in a pine tree, about a half mile up the road from the house on Linton Hill Road. Police also believe this gun may have been used in the crime.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, there have been some new developments in this 30-year-old cold case. DNA improvements and laboratory testing have helped investigators, making them hopeful of a potential forensic breakthrough in the case. 

"It is our belief that there was one killer," said Cpl. Tobin. "Nothing has led us outside of that. At this point, no suspect has been named; however, there are strong investigative leads that have led us to several individuals and certainly one individual." 

Due to the personal brutality of the crime, investigators and family members suspected Dale and Lynne also knew their killer. 

Paul told FOX43 that he can't explain some experiences he's had inside the former home of his brother. He provided the following example, "A friend and I were in the kitchen. Lynne had a music box that never played, she always wanted it fixed. My friend [and I] were going through the scenario of how [the murders] happened. We were looking out the window and I said, 'Yeah, my neighbor said he saw a guy standing out here.' And he said, 'I think you're right.' And just as he said that the music box started playing." 

"Take it for what it is, but I don't mind living here," he added.  

However, not having answers after 30 years is like an empty hole. "[The murders] took the wind out of my sails," Paul said.

Throughout his interview with FOX43, Cpl. Tobin emphasized the importance of witnesses or anyone with information coming forward. 

"Anybody who would be willing to come forward in this case, their safety would be paramount," he added. "I need them to pick up the phone and call the Pennsylvania State Police. Their information, no matter how big or small, is vital to this case," he said. 

"To be able to give a family member closure thirty years later and let them know that the person who took their loved one's life has been held accountable would be a great resolution for the case."

Paul had the following message to anyone out there who has information on the murders of Dale and Lynne: 

"Please step forward, say something. Don't worry about repercussions, do what's right." 

"I would describe this case as a giant jigsaw puzzle that has been chipped away at one piece at a time over the last thirty years of investigating," said Cpl. Tobin. "No information is too small in a jigsaw puzzle like this and I don't want to say we're running out of time, but sooner is better. Father Time works against you in any cold case."

Anyone with information on this case has been asked to contact Pennsylvania State Police- Newport Barracks at 717-567-3110. Tipsters can also anonymously contact the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers Toll-Free at 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477) or reach out online here. 

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