A Reporter in Virginia Was Murdered in Her Home. Did Her Job Play a Part, or May a Former Partner Be Involved?

A reporter in Virginia was used to covering the news. When she was found dead in her home, she became the news.

Over a decade later, police have yet to solve her cold-case murder.

On July 9, 2012, Sarah Greenhalgh was found dead in her home in Fauquier County, Virginia, according to the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office. The victim was killed and then her home was set on fire.

An autopsy determined that Greenhalgh had been shot to death before the blaze, according to the sheriff’s office.

At the time of her death, Greenhalgh worked as a reporter for the Winchester Star. She had previously worked for other outlets. Police have not said if her job played a role in the killing, and they have not made an arrest in the case.

“I admired her as a journalist and there were times when I envied her coolness under fire,” Greenhalgh's friend and former Culpeper Times managing editor Anita Sherman noted in a column, according to InsidenNova.

Greenhalgh covered local government when she died, according to InsideNova.

In 2018, new details were released in the investigation and a man that used to date Greenhalgh was heard arguing with her the night before she was killed, according to the Loudon Times.

The man also had significant injuries when he spoke to the police, but he attributed them to martial arts training. He had also deleted conversations from his laptop, police said, the Times reported.

The former acquaintance denied involvement in Greenhalgh’s death and has not been charged in connection to her murder.

Despite over 11 years passing since Greenhalgh’s death, investigators still hope to solve the cold case. A reward is being offered, and anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at (540) 347-3300.