'A shoulder to cry on': Hanover community remembers woman killed in Harrisburg homicide

The Hanover community is mourning the loss of a young Hanover woman murdered in Harrisburg.

Allie McFadden, 26, of Hanover, was allegedly killed by Kyle Burton, 42, and wife Chanise Burton, 36, in the couple's apartment on the 100 block of Pine Street in Harrisburg, according to court records, releases by Harrisburg Police, and the Dauphin County Coroner's Office.

According to police, officers were called for a disturbance at the Burton's apartment around 11 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, when they discovered McFadden deceased in the home.

The pair has been charged with felony counts of criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, aggravated assault, and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, court records show.

In charging documents, police allege that McFadden was assaulted by Kyle Burton while Chanise Burton held her at gunpoint.

The cause of death for McFadden has not yet been officially determined, the Dauphin County Coroner's Office said, and the toxicology report is pending.

Preliminary hearings for the couple have been scheduled for Sept. 30, 2024. The pair remain in prison, having been denied bail due to the nature of the charges.

Hanover High School class of 2016

A member of the Hanover High School class of 2016, classmates and former teachers remember McFadden as smart, quiet and caring.

Alexis Belker, of Hanover, a classmate of McFadden's, remembers McFadden as the first person to befriend her when Belker moved into town. McFadden, Belker recalls, was "a bubbly, outgoing and fun person to be around."

"She would always be there when I needed a shoulder to cry on or ears to listen," said Belker. "She was such a selfless person."

"She helped me through some of the difficult times I went through throughout high school," Belker shared.

The two were a part of the high school's student newspaper, the Orange & Black, where McFadden once served as assistant editor.

Paula Frank, a retired French teacher at Hanover who assisted with the Orange & Black, recalls McFadden as "very kind and very quiet."

"Just a smart girl, very kind, very polite," Frank shared.

Ally Knox, of Hanover, also a classmate of McFadden's, recalled McFadden's strong sense of humor.

"We had some good times back then," Knox recalled. "She was such a caring person."

As classmate Destiny Wilson recalls, McFadden was kind and always positive towards her classmates.

"I don't think I ever saw her in a bad mood," she added.

Many who spoke with the Evening Sun, including Belker, Knox, and Wilson, shared that they had lost touch with McFadden since high school, or in recent years, as McFadden had deleted or not used many of her social media accounts.

In recent years, McFadden had spent some time living and working at a family farm among rural Adams County fields near York Springs.

Reached at that location, a resident confirmed McFadden had lived there, but declined to comment about McFadden.

Further attempts to reach family of McFadden's were not successful, and as of mid-September, no obituary has been published for McFadden.

The most recent post of McFadden's on social media that friends were aware of, posted in February of 2023, McFadden is seen smiling for a selfie, with a caption of "workin' on the ranch."

Harrison Jones is the Hanover reporter for the Evening Sun. Reach him at hjones@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Hanover Evening Sun: Community remembers Allie McFadden, slain in Harrisburg homicide