n a sick twist of irony, the murder of a social service counselor in the elevator of a San Mateo office building may have been the brutal ending to a messy divorce that was in the midst of mediation.
Daly City resident Sharen May was killed Thursday night after allegedly being ambushed and stabbed multiple times by her estranged husband, Lawrence May. The incident occurred at 1777 Borel Place after the couple's visit with a professional mediator there who was helping resolve custody issues for the couple's three children.
Suspect Lawrence May, 49, left the mediation session 15 minutes early, according to police reports. As his wife was leaving shortly after, police report Lawrence May allegedly attacked her in the elevator.
Police received several calls at around 8 p.m. from witnesses who heard a woman screaming for help on the third floor of the building, according to dispatchers.
When police arrived at the scene, Lawrence May was "engaged in a one-sided struggle" with the body of his wife, said San Mateo police Capt. Kevin Rafaelli. Police believe Sharen May, 40, was stabbed in the elevator. Her body was in the hallway outside when they arrived, however.
"[Lawrence May] was grabbing at her and had his hands on her," Rafaelli said.
Police believe that Sharen May was already dead at the time and that he was pulling the body out of the elevator; the type of weapon used in the stabbing is not being disclosed. Lawrence May did not resist arrest, Rafaelli said.
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Police say the victim and suspect were involved in divorce proceedings.
Sharen May was an employee with the county's Human Services Agency, said Beverly Thames, spokeswoman for the county's Health Services Agency. Ironically, the agency Sharen May worked for handles child care matters and is currently embroiled in a controversy about how it handles custody matters in abuse cases.
Jennie Loft, spokeswoman for the county's Human Services Agency, said Sharen May's coworkers were shocked at the situation.
"Sharen dedicated her life to helping families and children in the county and we're shocked and saddened by the tragedy," Loft said.
Lawrence and Sharen May have three children together, Rafaelli said. The children are staying with a relative.
Sharen May's uncle called the Coroner's Office yesterday to talk about funeral arrangements, said Deputy Coroner Tom Marrascolo. An autopsy will not be performed on Sharen May until today because the Coroner's Office had its hands tied with another homicide that occurred in San Bruno early Thursday.
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