Schaefers were facing foreclosure at time of deaths

By Ernie Suggs

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Finances have entered the picture in the mystery surrounding the death of former state Sen. Nancy Schaefer.

According to The Northeast Georgian, a weekly newspaper based in Cornelia, Schaefer and her husband, Bruce, were facing mountains of financial problems when they died.

The paper reported that the couple’s $629,000 home on a private golf course was facing foreclosure. The 4,700-square-foot home was located in the exclusive, gated Orchard community.

The paper also reported that the Schaefers’ home is scheduled to be sold May 4 on the steps of the Habersham County Courthouse, according to a legal ad that was placed in the paper Wednesday, the day of the Schaefers' double funeral.

Police say that on March 26, Bruce Schaefer shot Nancy Schaefer, then killed himself.

It was initially thought that illness might have been the cause of the murder-suicide, as several friends of the couple reported that Bruce Schaefer had cancer.

But after Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell ruled out that scenario, talk of troubled finances began to surface.