HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Superior Court has denied post-conviction relief sought by a woman serving a life sentence for the 2020 killing of a 12-year-old Lebanon County boy, leaving intact a murder conviction that prosecutors argued was supported by overwhelming evidence.
The ruling rejects claims by Kimberly Maurer that she received ineffective legal representation during her 2022 trial, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, which represented the Commonwealth in the appeal.
Maurer was convicted in connection with the death of 12-year-old Maxwell Schollenberger and was sentenced to life in prison, plus an additional 10 to 20 years.
According to court records cited by the Attorney General’s Office, the Superior Court concluded that the evidence presented at trial supported the conviction and denied Maurer’s request for relief.
The case stems from the May 2020 death of Maxwell Schollenberger, who was found dead inside his Annville Township home.
Prosecutors alleged at trial that Maurer and her husband, Scott Schollenberger, subjected the child to prolonged abuse, starvation and isolation.
Investigators determined that the child had been confined to a room that was locked from the outside and had a shuttered window that prevented light from entering, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Authorities reported that the child weighed 47 pounds at the time of his death and was severely malnourished.
A forensic pathologist ruled the death a homicide caused by blunt-force head trauma complicated by malnourishment and starvation.
Attorney General Dave Sunday welcomed the appellate court’s decision.
“We are pleased that the Superior Court agreed with us that the facts from trial speak for themselves,” Sunday stated. “This was nothing more than a convicted child killer’s latest attempt to avoid accountability.”
Scott Schollenberger, the child’s father and Maurer’s husband, was also convicted and is serving a life sentence.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Christopher Schmidt represented the Commonwealth in the post-conviction proceedings.
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