Murder of Pamela Pitts by Shelly Harmon investigated on Snapped

Oxygen is re-airing a Snapped investigation into the murder of Pamela Pitts by her roommate, Shelly Harmon (sometimes called by her maiden name, Shelly Norgard), in Prescott, Arizona.

On September 16, 1988, 19-year-old Pamela disappeared. A couple of weeks later, her remains were found in a burn pit at a campsite. An autopsy determined that she had been murdered, but the burn damage to the body meant the cause of death was unknown.

Pamela’s murder remained unsolved for over 30 years. The police were flooded with tips and rumors that involved a drug dealer, an ex-boyfriend, a jealous love rival, and even a satanic cult.

The cops suspected her roommate Harmon was most likely involved, but it took until 2021 before she was finally convicted of first-degree murder.

The investigators knew that Pamela had wanted to move away from Harmon and that the latter was annoyed with her roommate’s overdue rent and an overdrawn joint bank account.

On the day Pamela disappeared, Harmon had driven around Prescott looking for her and had said she would kill her when she found her. She had also claimed that she knew how to dispose of a body by burning it and putting it down a mineshaft.

Harmon’s boyfriend, Raymond Clerx, provided her with an alibi, though the police remained suspicious of her.

Shelly Harmon arrested for murder of Raymond Clerx

Three years later, Clerx was reported missing after failing to attend a family wedding. In May 1991, the 24-year-old’s remains were found in an abandoned mineshaft; he had been shot in the head.

Harmon pleaded guilty to shooting Clerx because he had wanted to break up with her and planned to take their dogs away. She was sentenced to 20 years.

Toward the end of Harmon’s sentence, the cops began recording her phone calls. In one call with her father, he asked her what had happened to Pamela, and she responded, “I had a moment. I had a huge moment.” The cops took this to be an admission of guilt.

Harmon was released in 2011 and moved to Nevada, where she got married. However, she was arrested again in 2017 and charged with Pamela’s murder.

Shelly Harmon eventually pleaded guilty to Pamela Pitts murder

In May 2021, shortly before a trial was set to begin, Harmon agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder. The killer said she found her roommate at a party, and following an argument, she beat her victim into the ground until she stopped moving.

The murderer claimed, “I just lost it…I was thinking, ‘Oh, my God, she’s dead, she’s dead, and I killed her.

The killer was officially convicted of murder but managed to avoid jail. She was given credit for time served for the Clerx killing and the time since her 2017 arrest. She was released and returned to Nevada.

This episode of Snapped re-airs Friday at 7/6c on Oxygen.