An Oklahoma man was charged Monday (July 29) in a Northeastern State University professor’s death.
Joshua Schneider, 33, was charged with first degree murder, first degree arson, and larceny from the home charges have been filed in Cherokee County in relation to death of Tiffany Maher.
Schneider was caught in a wooded area in south Tulsa, authorities said, and booked in the Tulsa City Jail, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
The 40-year-old professor was found dead on May 31 at her Tahlequah home. Maher was a chemistry professor at NSU. Tulsa police found her vehicle the following week abandoned at a Tulsa apartment complex.
Several fires were intentionally set inside the house, according to the OSBI. Investigators say Schneider pawned and sold items stolen from Maher’s home. Agents believe Schneider and Maher met through a dating website.
Authorities attempted to stop Schneider on Thursday afternoon (July 18) in midtown Tulsa. He led authorities on a high-speed chase before getting away.
The silver Nissan 4-door sedan Schneider was driving at the time was found approximately two hours in northeast Tulsa. Schneider’s 2-year-old daughter was inside the car alone. Schneider and a female friend left the area on foot, according to the OSBI. Police used a helicopter and search dogs but were unable to find them.
Records show Schneider was convicted of rape in 1999 and served more than 10 years in prison. He was released in 2010.
