Agents Say Pawn Shop Records Helped Zero In On Tahlequah Murder Suspect

Court documents indicate that pawn shop records helped investigators identify the man charged with killing and robbing a Northeastern State University professor.

Joshua Schneider is charged with murdering Tiffany Maher and attempting to burn her body and her home. He's also accused of stealing several items from her home, including her laptop, TV and an e-reader.

OSBI agents and the Tulsa Police Department were able to find the murdered professor's stolen property at two Green Country pawn shops.

Investigators say those pawned items were registered to Joshua Schneider, and the pawn shop records led them to Schneider's home address.

Prosecutors say the mother of murdered NSU professor Tiffany Maher told investigators about several things missing from her daughter's house. Court documents say her Kindle Fire, Hewlitt-Packard Mini Netbook, Samsung television, Nintendo Wii game console, karaoke machine, DVD player, cell phone and purse were all taken.

7/29/2013 Related Story: Broken Arrow Man Charged With Murder, Arson In NSU Professor's Death

Also missing was her red Ford Fiesta. It was found in Tulsa by Osage SkyNews 6 after a viewer called in a tip, a few days after Maher's body was found.

On July 15, investigators say Maher's Kindle Fire turned up at the EZ Pawn on South Garnett. Police used serial numbers to connect the tablet to Maher.

Investigators found Joshua Schneider's name on the Kindle's registration ticket at the pawn shop.

A day later, investigators say Maher's stolen Netbook was pawned at the Red Tail Gun and Pawn Shop in Coweta.

Pawn shops are required to report these exchanges to police. Tickets at local pawn shops help keep track of everything that's sold and pawned in their stores.

Police say pawn shops are sometimes the best places for stolen property to be found.

While Schneider was on the run from police, investigators with OSBI searched a storage unit belonging to his girlfriend, Heather Black.

Agents recovered a karaoke machine and a DVD player, and CDs with the name "T. Maher" on them.