This photo posted on Facebook shows Virginia Cole and Shane A. Sigman.
Shane A. Sigman
The home at 410A Truce Road in Providence Township where police say a man killed his girlfriend Wednesday night after an argument.
A New Providence man pushed his girlfriend down a flight of stairs, killing her, while arguing over her daughter's refusal to eat dinner, according to police.
When state police arrived at their house Wednesday night, they found Shane A. Sigman lying next to Virginia Cole's body in the living room.
Cole, 42, had blood on her face. Sigman, 33, had blood on his hands and chest, according to a police affidavit.
"He was possibly asleep," state police Lt. Jeremy Richard said. "We believe that alcohol was a factor."
Sigman had been drinking, Cole's 12-year-old daughter told police, according to the affidavit. Two younger boys also were in the house.
The children belonged to either Sigman or Cole, Richard said.
Police were called to the house at 410A Truce Road after the daughter ran to a neighbor's house yelling for help.
The girl told a neighbor that Sigman had kicked her in the mouth and pushed her mother down the steps.
Sigman was taken to Lancaster General Hospital and released into police custody several hours later.
He is charged with one count of criminal homicide and one count of simple assault for allegedly attacking the 12-year-old.
According to the affidavit, the girl and the boys went upstairs while Sigman and Cole argued over dinner.
Sigman followed the girl upstairs, yelling at her, and then her mother came up, the girl told police.
Cole asked Sigman to come downstairs and talk. He said to Cole, "You first," the girl told police, according to the affidavit.
The daughter then said she heard slapping and hitting sounds.
Sigman said, "You are trying to play games." Cole replied, "No, I'm not," the girl told police, according to the affidavit.
The girl heard someone falling down the stairs and saw Sigman standing one step down from the top of the staircase. She could not see her mother.
Sigman then turned to the girl and said, "I hate you, bitch," and tried to punch her, the girl told police.
The girl said she ducked and Sigman then kicked her, his boot flying off. The girl ran down the stairs and saw her mother lying at the bottom.
Sigman later told police that he pushed Cole and she fell down the stairs, according to the affidavit. The document also said Sigman admitted kicking at Cole's daughter.
Cole's autopsy is scheduled for today. Eric Bieber, chief deputy coroner, told police the death was consistent with a closed head injury from blunt force trauma to the head and face.
The couple both have Facebook pages that feature the same profile picture of the two of them together.
Andrew Boxleitner knew Cole when they both were students at Lampeter-Strasburg High School, but he did not know Sigman.
Boxleitner "liked" her Facebook status when she wrote, "Holy crap … unless someone put my name on the wrong list I'm an EMT!!!!!" on March 28.
"It was something she really wanted to do," Boxleitner said. "She was psyched up about passing her test and starting a new career."
It is not clear if Cole actually worked as an emergency medical technician.
Five days later, Cole posted, "So.....Ginny has decided to make a commitment other then a phone plan.....fell in love....moving soon n can't wait to start a new life....I love u Shane."
Soon after, they began renting The Truce Road house from Janet Evans and Carl Killian. Evans and Killian live in a house close to the one they rent.
Both houses are at the end of a quarter-mile-long driveway, with the rental house about 250 feet behind Evans' and Killian's house.
According to Evans and her son, William Killian, police were frequent visitors to the rental house.
William Killian said police had been there about five or six times. Evans said it was several times.
Despite that, they both said their tenants gave them no trouble.
They did say that both Sigman and Cole liked to drink.
"Every time you seen them, he always had a can of beer in his hand and so did she," William Killian said.
Dozens of Bud Ice beer cans and bottles filled two trash cans and numerous bags inside the house's enclosed porch on Thursday.
Evans said Cole would come up to her house almost every other night to talk, mainly about her kids and Evans' four dogs.
Cole was fond of Duke, Evans' mastiff.
"She'd kiss him and hug him," Evans said.
Evans added, "She talked about her kids a lot. … She was good to those kids."
Evans said Coles' children lived elsewhere, but were visiting their mother this week.
"That's the worst of it," she said.
Evans said she believed Sigman worked at an area horse farm.
Cole had worked in the collection department for Clipper Magazine for almost five years, a company official said.
"We lost a very valued member of our team today, and it's been a difficult day for everyone," Barbara Valinski said.
Sigman was arraigned Thursday on the homicide and assault charges and placed in Lancaster County Prison, police said.
