THE JACKLIGHTER : a 20-year Pennsylvania Cold Case
THE JACKLIGHTER: Murder, Betrayal, and Justice in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains is an investigative true crime book about a decades‑long Pennsylvania cold case, the small town it tore apart, and a murder that refused to stay buried. Like CHAINED BIRDS, THE JACKLIGHTER blends witness interviews, true crime testimony, legal records, and investigative reporting to expose buried truths and systemic injustice.
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THE JACKLIGHTER : A Stolen Life. A Buried Secret.
In the shadows of Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains, attorney Martin Dillon went hunting with his best friend—and never came home. The official story seemed straightforward: a tragic accident during an afternoon of skeet shooting. But when the only witness was Dr. Stephen Scher, the man having an affair with Dillon’s wife, the victim’s family refused to believe it.
Then Scher did the unthinkable: he married Dillon’s widow and raised her children as his own, living a stolen life for 20 years—until Martin’s body was exhumed. Some secrets never stay buried.
A Hunting Accent or the Perfect Murder?
The Jacklighter follows a decades-long cover-up and quest for justice that tore apart a small town and a prominent family. From the suspicious “accident” in 1976 to the explosive murder trial 20 years later, to the killer’s release from prison, award-winning author Carla Conti uncovers the dark secrets hidden beneath Montrose, Pennsylvania’s Victorian charm—secrets involving betrayal, forbidden love, and a killing method as cowardly as it was calculated.
With unique access to the hometown victims and key witnesses, Conti reveals how one shotgun blast shattered multiple lives and tested whether justice can survive when everyone in town thinks they know the truth.
“He killed him, didn’t he? Steve killed him.”
These were the first words spoken by the doctor’s wife upon hearing that Marty Dillon died in a hunting accident. She had just awoken in the ICU after a suicide attempt—years before the body was ever exhumed—and she was the first person to accuse her husband of murder.
The Jacklighter launches this fall—Amazon pre-orders are coming soon
The Jacklighter releases this fall. Stay tuned to this space for ongoing research updates as Carla counts down to the launch. You can also subscribe to her free CRIMEMOIR CONFIDENTIAL newsletter for publication-day news and more true crime behind-the-scenes reporting.
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Carla Conti is a journalist and the award-winning author of Chained Birds: A Crimemoir. Her next true crime book, The Jacklighter, is set for release in 2026. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, who supports her true crime habit.