ALLENTOWN, Pa. _ A woman charged with killing her adoptive daughter in a violent rape and murder fantasy previously worked for Northampton County Children and Youth as an "adoption supervisor" before she was suspended in 2010, authorities said Monday.
Sara Packer, the adoptive mother of 14-year-old Grace Packer, is charged in Bucks County along with Jacob Sullivan, Sara Packer's boyfriend, in the death of the teen who had been reported missing last summer.
Sara Packer, 41, of Horsham Township, was charged Sunday with homicide, rape, conspiracy, kidnapping and abuse of a corpse. Authorities also charged Sullivan, saying he and Packer plotted for nearly a year before the girl was killed last year in a Richland Township home.
Northampton County officials issued a news release Monday stating Packer worked from the county from 2003 through 2010, but did not include any further details. "Regarding the charges against Ms. Packer, the county cannot comment regarding ongoing job investigations," the statement read.
County Controller Stephen Barron Jr. said Monday that Packer worked as a supervisor for the county's Children and Youth department for adoptions. He said Packer's last date working for the county was in January 2010. Packer's employment status was listed as "suspended," but Barron said he had no additional details why she had been suspended.
Packer's salary was $44,600 at the time, Barron said. Barron said Monday he thought it was important to release information about Packer's former position.
Both Packer and her ex-husband, David Packer, 40, lived in various parts of the Lehigh Valley, including Allentown, Bethlehem and Emmaus, according to public records. According to Northampton County court records, the couple divorced in June.
On two dates in 2010, David Warren Packer was charged by Allentown police in two separate child sex abuse cases.
In the case filed Nov. 23, 2010, he was charged with indecent assault of a victim under age 13. Two months later, he was again charged by Allentown police in a separate filing of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of someone under age 16 and corruption of minors.
Packer pleaded guilty to the indecent assault and statutory sexual assault in both cases and was sentenced to six months to five years in prison. He was required to register as a sexually violent predator.
