A 35-year-old Tamaqua woman was discovered Saturday (Feb. 1, 2014) down an embankment along Flagstaff Road in Jim Thorpe. Police have identified the body found as Angela Serfass-Steigerwalt, according to her family members.
A 1996 Tamaqua graduate, Steigerwalt, also known by friends as Angie Stagz, was last seen when she left her job at Kraft Foods in Allentown Friday night.
Additional news reports online state that Steigerwalt’s body was found around 9:50 AM Saturday while members of the Jim Thorpe Fire Department were quelling a brush fire. Reports add that police stated Steigerwalt’s body was thrown over a 15-foot embankment into laurel bushes.
A family member stated that Steigerwalt’s car (a Buick LaCrosse) was found in North Carolina. The family member added that an unidentified man is expected to be extradited from the state with possible relation to the homicide.
“She put so much joy into everyone’s life,” said Steigerwalt’s uncle Donald Serfass of Hometown. “The whole family was so proud of her.” Serfass added that his niece was a hard worker, a loving mother and wife, and possessed an exceptionally generous spirit.
A post from a friend on Steigerwalt’s Facebook page states, “Angie, you will be missed by so many. You are now our precious angel smiling down on us. You were such an inspiration to so many.”
Another post on Steigerwalt’s Facebook page says,” R.I.P. my fellow Eagles fan. Fly high my friend.”
Prior to working at Kraft Foods, Steigerwalt served as logistics supervisor at JCPenny in Breinigsville.
The Pennsylvania State Police’s major case unit is in charge of the investigation. Police encourage anyone with information about the heinous crime to call Lehighton State Police at (610) 377-4270.
A Facebook post from a family members reads,”The Serfass and Steigerwalt families thank you for your thoughtfulness and caring. A beautiful, loving, young woman has been taken from us at the prime of her l.ife and we’re struggling for answers. We have complete faith in the Pennsylvania State Police who are leaving no stone unturned to get to the bottom of this tragedy. Please know that your support is a great comfort and means more than words can express.”
TamaquaArea.com 
[…] A North Carolina newspaper’s website (Kinston.com) named a 24-year old Allentown man in relation to the recent homicide of a Tamaqua woman. The burning body of Angela Serfass-Steigerwalt, 35, of Tamaqua, was found by firefighters along Flagstaff Road in Jim Thorpe Saturday morning while responding to a reported brush fire. According to Kinston.com, Anthony Darrell Heath, 24, of Allentown, was pulled over Sunday morning in Kinston, North Carolina by Kinston Police after the Kinston Department of Public Safety was contacted by On-Star (a satellite vehicle navigation and security service) about a stolen silver 2010 Buick Lacrosse from Pennsylvania that was entering Kinston on U.S. 258 North at 11:06 AM. Following a 5-minute standoff, Heath was taken into custody without incident. (Google Maps Imagery of Area). Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office and N.C. Highway Patrol assisted in taking Heath into custody at Lenoir County Jail; where he remains with no bond. The vehicle was seized and investigators in both states are working in the investigation. Kinston.com stated that Heath is currently being charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of marijuana and resist, obstruct and delay. Steigerwalt was last seen by family members Friday night when she left for work at Kraft Foods in Fogelsville. Steigerwalt’s Facebook page lists Heath as a friend, although it is unknown if the digital friendship took place before or after Steigerwalt’s murder. Flagstaff Road in Jim Thorpe is just over 500 miles (8 hours) away from where Heath was pulled over in North Carolina. Here is a link to the Kinston newspaper’s story: http://www.kinston.com/news/local/recovered-stolen-vehicle-owned-by-murder-victim-1.271643?tc=cr For more information about the homicide, view yesterday’s TamaquaArea.com story: https://tamaquaarea.wordpress.com/2014/02/02/body-of-tamaqua-woman-found-in-jim-thorpe […]
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