I don't understand what's changed, what happened,'" she said. "And he said, 'I'm moving into Becky's.'". The crime was orchestrated by his 20-year-old daughter, Clara Jane Schwartz, as part of a fantasy role-playing game. To say Steven Schwartz's life was extraordinary, as his son, Carter, does, is an understatement. said Dr. Patton. [7] He worked at a hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania prior to relocating with his family to Tucson in the late '90s. "Oh, I imagine he had maybe $1,000 or more at the time on him," Cecil said. I was scared," he said. She fired them shortly after the murder. The Perfect Murder: The Devil Made Me Do It, a documentary produced by Investigation Discovery, focuses on how the police narrowed down four suspects, one of them was Roberts daughter. At the time, Clara was friends with Katherine, and Katherines boyfriend, Michael Pfohl. I mean -- he was intelligent. Stragaj said, "I think she murdered him.". "Basically, 'if you get better, call me. WebThe murder of Robert Schwartz occurred on December 8, 2001, in Leesburg, Virginia. "Quite a life," Van Sant remarked. "This looks really bad, though. Michele, her sister, said in court, Its been nothing but a nightmare since the first day I found out. 88.218.193.20 Stragaj says he was set up by Schwartzs second wife Rebecca Becky Schwartz. Today, Dyer is an adjunct professor of criminal justice at Youngstown State University in Ohio. You can follow his daily exploits on Twitter and Instagram. Van Sant asked. [21] Other arguments Storts used revolved around discrepancies between the time of death, Bigger's whereabouts, and the fact that the $10,000 had seemingly vanished. Becky lavished luxury on herself and her own sons -- paying for their weddings. "I'm so sorry I didn't call the police.". I'm leaving,'" said Dyer. They interviewed Becky and Ben. "Anything I would tell you would be speculation. The nature of the phone discussions had changed over the course of the night. But when Schwartz's colleagues planned one. "We sort of learned to coexist," said Carter. And when you were interviewed by investigators, you lied to them. I really did. Carter always believed the main reason Becky was with his father was because she wanted to spend his money. I'm gonna take care of this.'". You know, everything was just over the top with her," said April Cox. A Loudoun County Circuit Court jury deliberated four hours before returning its verdict against Clara Jane Schwartz, 20. "I said to them, 'Please, do not overlook anyone in this family just because they're related.". She probably wasn't the one who pulled the trigger, but she was behind it all," said Dr. Patton. "I liked Steven. Stragaj also claims she threatened him. They looked into his family first and soon learned of his youngest They also argued that Robert Schwartz abused his daughter. That's why I'm here," he said of being incarcerated. Dr. David Brian Stidham, a 37-year-old pediatric ophthalmologist, was found stabbed and beaten to death outside his office on Oct. 5. Millions and millions of dollars worth of money," said Becky's attorney, Denis deVlaming. I loved the man," Stragaj said. And -- you know, and then I think she was gone after she drank the beer. Schwartz, a prominent local nephrologist, was found dead in his Tarpon Springs mansion in May 2014 after his wife Rebecca Schwartz reported a robbery. She is into money like you and I are into breathing air," he replied. While in Dallas, he met and began dating his neighbor, Daphne Herding,[5] whom he eventually married in a garden ceremony in 1997. And there were bizarre behaviors after Dr. Schwartz's death that fed speculation about Becky's involvement. She even took them on her boat in Florida and one thing stuck in Meredith's mind. Lead prosecutors Sylvia Lafferty and Richard Platt also brought in a more sophisticated DNA analysis than the one used for the Schwartz trial. [22], Schwartz's ex-fiancee, Lourdes Lopez, who resigned as prosecutor after being indicted in federal court, continued to work as a defense attorney after disciplinary action had taken place. And Becky seduced her new boyfriend with expensive gifts, too. Dr. Schwartz was a well-known DNA sequencing researcher. Meredith, who asked "48 Hours" not use her last name, says she and her husband took Becky in as one of their own, after a chance meeting at a charity event. "Your DNA was on the victim. DeVlaming denies Stragaj's claims that Becky ever asked him to kill Schwartz or his son, Carter. I think he turned it into a positive. Robert M. Schwartz, 57, a founding member of the Virginia Biotechnology Association, was found dead in the secluded fieldstone farmhouse southwest of Leesburg where he lived alone. A year later he switched to ophthalmology. Carter says he often needed money. A desperate kid looking for a way to bail himself out. A prominent biophysicist, he had been stabbed multiple times with a 2-foot-long sword. Prosecutors allege that Hulbert wasnt the only person Schwartz asked to kill her father. When police arrived at his apartment, he was found naked with a woman. "I never saw Becky grieving for her husband or her loss," said Meredith. "Steve was your classic gentle giant a guy who had the heart of a bear," Dr. Patton said. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Dr. Steven Schwartzs brother, James Schwartz, filed suit against her on behalf of the doctors three adult children. [28] Although the original case sought $20 million in a claim against the county, Mrs. Stidham settled for $2.29 million in 2007. He took the bag back to Becky that morning and confronted her. Clara was the youngest of Roberts three children; she had an older brother and sister. Police looked at Dr. Schwartz's inner circle. [4] Over a two-month period during the summer of 2001, Lopez allowed Schwartz to use her name to fraudulently obtain prescriptions for the controlled substance hydrocodone. The police took his statement. Then, in August 2001, she began dating Patrick House, who later testified against her at trial. Rebecca Schwartz: Hi, somebody I just walked in to my house and somebody robbed my house. One year later when his contract expired, the group sued him for violating a restrictive covenant when he opened his own practice less than 200 yards away. Van Sant asked Dr. Patton. I'm really short and -- and don't tell my mom. But the hard drive had been removed. I didn't call the police that day. "Very," he replied. [27], According to Bonnie Booth of the American Medical News, the rarity of physician-on-physician crime was the likely reason that the trial drew so much media attention. Her son, Eric, even got a Verizon store to run in Wisconsin. Schwartz was a tall, handsome kid from New York, the son of a doctor. [3] Stidham told friends that his partner (Schwartz) had been acting "weird" and that he needed to remove himself from the situation. Stragaj says when he picked up the handbag he saw a knife inside. But her one-time friends, April Cox and Patrick Olive, who helped her manage the Schwartz properties, say Becky could also be a tough cookie. "I just -- think he was just a great gentleman.". In addition, the 57-year-old Virginia Biotechnology Association was founded by him. "Well, that's one possibility," he replied. [27] Mrs. Stidham also filed a suit in August 2005 against Pima County, Lourdes Lopez, Paul Skitzki, and county attorney Barbara LaWall. It's absolutely laughably ridiculous," said deVlaming. Katherine and Katherines boyfriend, Michael Pfohl, were Claras pals at the time. [3] In March 2004, the conditions of Schwartz and Lopez's release were modified to allow the two to have contact with each other. The two former criminals pledged to spend the rest of their lives atoning for their terrible act. And we've alleged that Leo and Becky conspired to murder him," said Roebig. "I build. He founded the Virginia Biotechnology Association where he worked on DNA sequencing for 15 years. But they then began to focus on the Schwartz's longtime employee and contractor, Anton Leo Stragaj. But absurd took on a new meaning with Becky after a tragic car accident 30 years ago that killed her 2-year-old son, Christopher. A pre-trial hearing in Anton Stragajs case is set for Jan. 12, 2017, according to Pinellas County court records. Clara played the overlord, Lord Chaos, and House acted as an assassin assigned to kill Old Guy -- Clara Schwartzs father. He was jailed for the rest of his life in September 2003. And if she had somebody else helping her," Stragaj replied. Patrick further stated that Clara showed him her journal entries where she talked about Roberts alleged abuse and attempts to poison her. Lafferty also brought up the fact that Schwartz harbored a well-known grudge against Stidham. And, deVlaming says, Sragaj is a large man capable of physical force, unlike Becky. And remember, Becky claimed her Florida house had been burglarized. And on that fall day, the dark side came out. A Loudoun County [4] Differing reports say his body was found by either a cleaning crew[5] or Christine Rotella, a massage therapist who had returned to the medical plaza to retrieve her forgotten engagement ring. / CBS News, Produced by Alec Sirken, Ryan Smith and Michelle Feuer, [This story first aired on Feb. 11. [3], On October 15, police captured Bigger who was hiding just outside Tucson. [14] In December 2001, DEA agents raided Schwartz's office. I mean, I don't think any of us were, really," said Dyer. Van Sant asked. "That Leo Stragaj was there at the time of murder. A year after Dr. Steven Schwartz was found shot stabbed and strangled in his waterfront mansion, Leo Stragaj sits in jail. Police aren't talking because the case is still open. But I did notice her, you know, being-- a somewhat of a stressed type of thing, you know, putting her head -- hands on her knees. "I would say that's a very accurate statement," Carter replied. Robert has an X engraved on his back after being stabbed and slashed more than thirty times. In fact, according to a police document, one of Schwartz's office workers called police to say: "Rebecca was blackmailing Dr. Schwartz by withholding information that could ruin his career.". They started with his family, and Clara Schwartz, his youngest daughter, was discovered quickly. Joseph Schwartz feels very fortunate to have been providing outstanding care in Northwest Indiana since 1994. But one thing, I didn't kill their father. Defense attorneys said they would appeal, arguing that the jury did not spend enough time going through the evidence. I want the people responsible for this to be held both criminally and civilly liable," Carter Schwartz said. Van Sant asked Carter Schwartz. Bigger's defense attorney, Jill Thorpe, tried to prove that it was Schwartz who had actually physically committed the murder. "And then staged the scene to look like a burglary?" He said that Clara created a fantasy role-playing game called Underworld, where he played an assassin and a bard. Defense attorneys said the game was only an escape for a girl with a sad social life. Furthermore, Clara had also told Kyle that she was going on a trip to the Virgin Islands for Christmas with her father. Clara allegedly used Kyle to do her will, according to the prosecution. She had nothing to do with the murder itself," said deVlaming. "That changed my whole life, right there in that point in time," he said. And as time went on, Meredith felt Becky was becoming a little too close to her own husband. Furthermore, the 57-year-old was the founding member of the Virginia Biotechnology Association. WebThe Perfect Murder examines the brutal and bizarre killing of scientist Robert Schwartz, who was murdered in his own home. [22] Bruce Bigger's attorneys felt that the trial should have been moved out of Pima County due to the publicity the case received. From jail, Schwartz pleaded with Lourdes Lopez, his former lover, to be his attorney, but she refused. The police talked to Leo Stragaj. Phillip Dyer, who drove Schwartz to the scene, but backed out before the crime, "I said, 'What did you do,' right away. And she said, 'No, I'll say it when I'm sober.' The wrongful death lawsuit claims their stepmother and Stragaj conspired to murder Schwartz, whose estate is worth at least $10 million, for financial gain. The lawsuit also claims that Becky Schwartz was embezzling funds from her husbands medical practice. Becky and Dr. Schwartz had met in the late 1990s through a dating service, and were a committed couple. Three days after "And greedy, just greedy to the point of it being absurd almost," said Carter Schwartz. And I made two runs because I'm -- I'm in construction site job, $125,000 job. The car was later found at an apartment complex over six miles away. He was taken away with such haste that his shirt was on backwards. [5] Schwartz and Goldberg were eating at a Thai restaurant in Tucson shortly after the murder occurred. "I seen, like, jewelry boxes and one knife on the bag," said Stragaj. She faces one count of exploitation of the elderly and one count of fraudulent use of personal identification, jail records indicate. Inside, he found the scientist brutally murdered. WebWho Killed Robert Schwartz? And that he was the killer," said deVlaming. I turned around and look at him, and his eyes are just bloodshot," said Dyer. Dyer wasn't even sure Schwartz was really going go through with it, until he pulled out a gun. "And what he described to me -- he said, 'I shot the man between the eyes,' and he did this," Dyer said, pointing between his eyes. she said. Stragaj is not the only one suspicious of Becky Schwartz. Your own children will learn that you are a murderer,'" Van Sant asked Florin. "48 Hours" brought Dyer back to New Mexico to tell the story of that day in 1961 with Schwartz, who was 21 and a college dropout. Robert was born on May 13, 1944. Schwartz began to reassure Bigger that he had his money. [14] Schwartz also wrote prescriptions to his office manager, Laurie Espinoza, who would retrieve the medication and give it to Schwartz. "He said, 'I'm going home. Kyle, Michael, and Katherine had been apprehended by February 2002. And, deVlaming points out, even Stragaj's alibi was shot down by police, who checked his cell phone records. Is-- is this -- drink talk and not -- what was that?' [2], In June 2003, Schwartz and Lopez were involved in a domestic altercation which resulted in an amendment to the conditions for their release, prohibiting them from having contact with each other. Clara was sentenced to serve 48 years in prison on February 10, 2003. [21] On October 28, Lopez reported that, prior to the murder, she had expressed to Paul Skitzki, a county prosecutor with whom she was on friendly terms, her concerns about what Schwartz might do to Stidham. [5] He was killed in his 1992 white Lexus SC400[19] and dragged from his car to make it look like a robbery. "I think you'd have to be willfully ignorant not to see it," he replied. But still, I can't see Leo hurting Dr. Schwartz. More than three years have passed since Dr. Schwartz's murder, and Becky Schwartz splits her time between Florida and Wisconsin. [4] In addition to local media outlets, Court TV and CBS's 48 Hours provided coverage to a national audience. "It happened the day before Thanksgiving of 1961, November" said Phillip Dyer. WebBut all that family turmoil was hidden, and to most who knew him, Dr. Schwartz seemed to have a beautiful life until the evening of May 28, 2014, when Becky Schwartz came home I mean, that's crazy," Stragaj explained. But tragedy struck the Schwartz family in December 2001. WebDuring the past 10 years, Dr. Ernst von Schwarz developed a stem cell anti-aging system for facial, body and hair rejuvenation as evidenced by clinical studies, which is used worldwide by thousands of patients treated by Dr. von Schwarz. Schwartz decided to rob a local dentist, Dr. Victor Cook. She grabs a beer, and come sits on the couch, and drinks a beer," said Cox. "I'd see him on the street from time to time and he'd always ask me, 'How you doin'? All-- those statements are false," deVlaming told Van Sant. "immigration told me any contact with police will send you back," he told Van Sant. Kyle later indicated that after Clara informed him of the situation, he felt compelled to take action. On Claras computer, the authorities discovered instant communications between her and Kyle in which they plotted murdering Robert. Rebecca Schwartz: I walked in the bedroom, into the closet and all the drawers were opened. Schwartz had recruited Dyer to drive him to and from the dentist's office. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. [29] The events of the murder were also covered in an episode of Forensic Files titled "Office Visit", which aired on January 22, 2010, on truTV.[30]. "My life pretty much changed on January second, when my husband got out of the shower and said he was leaving me," Meredith said. "I mean, you're just outta the picture.". "I didn't have the -- you know, the green card, the nothing.". By February 2002, Kyle, Michael, and Katherine were all in custody. Van Sant asked Carter. [3][12] Despite the fact that Stidham's new practice was on the opposite side of town, Schwartz was convinced that his former partner was deliberately stealing his clients. Investigation Discoverys The Perfect Murder: The Devil Made Me Do It focuses on how the police zeroed in on four people who had a role to play, which shockingly included Roberts daughter as well. '", Carter also struggled with Becky. "I thought truly we had found a great friend. 48 Hours airs Fridays at 9pm and 10pm on CBS. "And in Wisconsin, does she just live a quiet life now?" July 29, 2017 / 11:25 PM Helping her, '' he told Van Sant Feuer, [ this story first aired on Feb..... 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