A 50-year-old man allegedly stalked and sexually assaulted his former stepdaughter for years, even building a disturbing shrine containing her underwear, before fatally shooting his ex-wife in an apparent murder-suicide in the United States.
Norman E. Lohr Jr., 50, is accused of years of harassment, repeated violations of protection orders and sexually abusing his former stepdaughter, Allison Pelc.
His former wife, Melissa K. Pelc-Lohr, 50, was found dead at her home in Moira, New York, on October 27 after suffering a gunshot wound to the head.
Following the killing, police spotted a red Chevrolet Silverado believed to be linked to the incident. Lohr allegedly led state troopers on a 200-mile pursuit before turning the gun on himself in Lyons, New York.
In a video shared on Facebook, Allison described years of alleged abuse and harassment by her former stepfather, claiming that repeated attempts to seek protection had failed to stop his behaviour.
“There have been years of warning signs that led up to her death,” she said.
“My former stepdad, Norman, also known as Ed, raped me, and for years, I experienced harassment.”
She added that he remained obsessed with her and refused to leave her alone.
“I tried to protect myself using the legal system, and look what happened, my mum is gone,” she said.
Allison also shared disturbing footage allegedly showing a makeshift shrine inside Lohr’s wardrobe, containing her underwear, personal belongings and what she described as inappropriate items and liquids.
She claimed the same cupboard had previously been used to store around 100 firearms.
In another allegation, Allison said Lohr had stolen her underwear and once placed a used sanitary napkin in his pocket.
Surveillance footage allegedly showed him going through her personal belongings and following her to her car.
According to Allison, her mother discovered the alleged shrine and became increasingly frightened, eventually making efforts to separate herself from Lohr and move somewhere safer.
She also claimed that an alleged rape dating back to January 2023 had been reported to a sheriff’s office.
In a personal protection order statement, Allison alleged that Lohr would leave her money after each assault in an attempt to make amends.
She subsequently obtained two protection orders against him, but claimed he violated them at least three times without facing consequences.
“I had to get two [orders of protection] to try and at least feel safe. But nothing happens, we just keep letting people get away with things,” she said.
A court hearing concerning alleged violations of one of the protection orders had been scheduled for October 28 in Michigan.
However, Melissa was killed just one day before the scheduled hearing.
Allison further claimed that she had contacted the FBI’s Detroit office to report her experiences but received no response.
The tragedy happened only days after Melissa returned from Las Vegas, where she had celebrated her daughter’s 30th birthday.
Melissa’s death has left behind her two children, Allison and Freddie Pelc.
A GoFundMe campaign was subsequently launched to support the siblings, describing her death as a devastating act of alleged stalking-related domestic violence.
In an emotional update, Allison described the difficulty of returning to a home without her mother.
“Being here is incredibly difficult. Everything feels like she’s just out running errands and will walk through the front door at any moment,” she wrote.
The FBI, New York State Police and local Michigan police had not immediately responded to requests for comment on the allegations.
