By John Estridge
The man accused of killing Denise Pflum on March 28, 1986, died in an Indianapolis hospital.
According to a post on the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department press release, Shawn McClung of Connersville died at 6:56 a.m. Saturday, September 26.
WRTV in Indianapolis identified the hospital as IU Health Methodist Hospital.
McClung was charged with Voluntary Manslaughter (in sudden heat and without a deadly weapon), as a class B felony. Pflum’s body was never found. There are not any current reports if McClung told anyone of where Pflum’s body is before he died.
McClung was in Fayette Circuit Court on Friday, September 18, on a Motion for Change of Venue hearing, which was granted. Fayette Circuit Court Judge Hubert Branstetter ruled a jury would be brought in from another county to hear McClung’s trial.
A hearing for Suppression of the Confession motion was scheduled for Monday, September 28. According to a Connersville News-Examiner article, McClung’s attorney Jud McMillin said McClung was granted immunity prior to his alleged confession to Fayette County authorities.
Not long after his September 18 hearing, McClung was first taken to the former Fayette Memorial Hospital, now called Reid Health Connersville, before he was transferred to Methodist Hospital.
McClung was arrested in July after allegedly confessing to causing Pflum’s death. After his arrest, both the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the Facebook Page Justice for Denise Pflum talked about additional arrests to be made in the case. At this time, there have been no additional arrests. However, on the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page, a $100,000 reward has been established for information concerning where Denise Pflum’s body is located.
“The purpose of offering this reward is to persuade someone to disclose the location where Denise Diane Pflum was placed/hidden at the time of her death,” it reads on the post. “The qualifications for claiming the reward will be strictly enforced and only the first claimant who identifies the exact location will receive payment.”
This is good through 11:59 p.m., October 8, and it says the deadline will not be extended.
“The money will be dispersed by certified check to the claimant 30 days after the positive identification of remains by the Indiana State Police Crime Lab,” the post reads. “By agreement of the parties, an alternative method for the transfer of funds may be executed.”
On the Justice for Denise Pflum’s Facebook page, it is stated McClung’s death is just another low in a terrible situation that the post said has carried far more lows than highs.
“As this latest news of McClung’s death comes to us then it only adds to the emotional storage that we have endured for so long,” the posted dated Saturday, September 26, reads. “The full gamut of emotions containing but a few highs and many profound lows continues to plague us. We still hold out hope that information yet to be assembled will find a solution to this nightmare. Thank you all for your support throughout the years. Stay with us.”