Bio

Dale Carter Shackelford was born on February 19, 1962. He grew up in a small town in Missouri. Not much is known about his early life, but he had a troubled upbringing. At some point, he found himself in trouble with the law. He served time in prison for a serious crime. He was convicted of sodomy and during that time, he met Donna Fontaine, who was teaching a class for inmates.

Shackelford and Fontaine developed a relationship while he was incarcerated. After he was released, they got married. However, their marriage faced many challenges. They eventually divorced in 1998. Donna Fontaine filed rape charges against Shackelford. The couple’s troubled history played a significant role in their interactions after their divorce.

After the divorce, Shackelford settled in Ironton, Missouri, where he operated a trucking business. Life for Shackelford was not smooth, and he faced ongoing legal issues. The divorce and the pending charges created tension in his life.

Murder Story

On May 29, 1999, Dale Carter Shackelford shot and killed his ex-wife, Donna Fontaine, and her boyfriend, Fred Palahniuk, in Latah County, Idaho. The couple was found dead after Shackelford set fire to the building where their bodies were located. Forensic experts determined that they died from gunshot wounds.

Shackelford had planned these murders while facing serious legal issues in Missouri. He was trying to escape a potential 30-year-to-life sentence for rape charges filed by Fontaine. Authorities accused Shackelford of lying in wait to ambush the victims using Fontaine's firearms.

He conspired with his fiancée, Sonja Abitz, and her mother, Mary Abitz, to carry out the murders. Both women were later charged as co-conspirators. After the verdict, Shackelford was found guilty on multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and first-degree arson.

During the trial, prosecutors presented circumstantial evidence, including threats Shackelford had made against Fontaine. Despite attempts by his defense to claim he was not at the crime scene and to suggest alternative theories of the incident, the jury deliberated for nearly two days before reaching a verdict. Shackelford was sentenced to death on October 25, 2001.