WebAt around 11pm on October 5, 2004, a cleaning crew discovered Stidhams body inside his vehicle that was parked in the parking lot of the North First Medical Plaza in Tucson, [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. Dyer wasn't even sure Schwartz was really going go through with it, until he pulled out a gun. And she said, 'You know why I did it,'" said Stragaj. You know, everything was just over the top with her," said April Cox. "Steve was your classic gentle giant a guy who had the heart of a bear," Dr. Patton said. "I figure that's why Schwartz went there, to rob him.". They gotta show her as somebody that would participate in the murder, because that's the only way they're gonna profit in this case," he said. Stragaj says he has an alibi and insists he is not the killer. But the robbery of Dr. Cook went terribly wrong. In September 2003, he was sentenced to life behind bars. 'Locations and associated times given by [you] did not match cell phone tower.'". "I believe that both Leo Stragaj and Rebecca Schwartz were involved in his murder and caused his death on that date," said Carter Schwartz. "That Leo Stragaj was there at the time of murder. Both sentences were eventually commuted and both men later went to college. "I'd see him on the street from time to time and he'd always ask me, 'How you doin'? But 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 and discovered her home in disarray. I think he turned it into a positive. 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. Soon, they were led to his youngest daughter, Clara Schwartz, who seemed to be at the center of it all. Lafferty also brought up the fact that Schwartz harbored a well-known grudge against Stidham. Asked if he was interviewed by police, Carter told Van Sant he was. [3][20] Bigger's appeal suggested that he was not afforded a fair trial on account of the copious amount of media coverage surrounding the case. She went to work for MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Robert was born on May 13, 1944. I think that that cloud is always there that they may arrest her," attorney Kym Rivellini said. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. Questioned by Florin, Dana suggests Becky staged the burglary to implicate her son, Ben. The series, created Carolyn Wiger From Survivor 44 -CBS has debuted the 44th season of the renowned reality television series "Survivor" Diverse strangers attempt to survive in Contestant Carson Garrett From Survivor 44 -Since its launch in 2000, the CBS reality competition series 'Survivor,' developed by Charlie Parsons, has been a Where is Kevin Roby Now? LaWall even testified that if Skitzki or Lopez had come forward sooner, Dr. Stidham would still be alive. I had no revenge or nothing.". Boxer Eddie Leal Murder Case Where Is Manuel Guzman These Days? That's Becky's daughter in-law, Dana Nichols, who is married to her son, Ben. Their daughter, Catherine Elizabeth, was born later in Tucson in 2003. [23], Schwartz has repeatedly made headlines since his imprisonment. She was being held without bond as of Thursday. And that he was the killer," said deVlaming. She planned it. [5][6] In 1998, they returned to Texas when Stidham joined the faculty at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Text (586) 939 -1122. Is-- is this -- drink talk and not -- what was that?' [2] Bradley Alan Schwartz, also a pediatric ophthalmologist, and Ronald Bruce Bigger, a hit man, were arrested and convicted for the murder. "I never saw Becky grieving for her husband or her loss," said Meredith. "She's just trying to lay low and find a path.". "Drinking the beer at 9:00 a.m. definitely not something". James Cecil, a local auctioneer in Hobbs for decades, was a patient of Dr. Cook back then. They also argued that Robert Schwartz abused his daughter. Your IP: Performance & security by Cloudflare. Leo Stragaj admits he never implicated Becky until the day he was arrested. Wil Florin: You were present, were you not, in the home at the time of Dr. Schwartz's murder and took part in the murder of Dr. Schwartz, did you not? But with a blended family came problems. The sudden murder of a prominent scientist at his secluded farmhouse led the authorities on a complex murder investigation. At the time of the incident, she was a computer science major at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Van Sant asked. He, along with attorney Brick Storts, attempted to sue the state of Arizona for $750,000. "When you heard the news that your father had killed a man, how shocking was that for you?" "Was there blood on the knife?" I didn't call the police that day. WebDr. Police arrived and quickly entered the home looking for a possible intruder. Investigators later learned that Michael, then 21, and Katherine, then 19, drove Kyle to Roberts house on December 8, 2001. [3][7], On the night of the murder, Schwartz was with Lisa Goldberg, a girlfriend he had recently begun seeing after meeting her on an online dating service. But her attorneys make the case that she is innocent, and Leo Stragaj had a strong motive to kill Dr. Schwartz alone. I admit I was there, but I didn't kill Dr. Schwartz," he said. Fax (586) 939 -9328. email Staff@DrSchwartzOptometrist.com "It became very apparent early on, her motive was financial. Robert was quite well known in the scientific community, spearheading research in the fields of biometrics and DNA. Defense attorneys said the game was only an escape for a girl with a sad social life. WebLike many of the criminals featured on Forensic Files, the men who murdered Dr. Brian Stidham obviously didnt watch the show often enough. Stragaj also felt close to Steven Schwartz. A hold is also been placed on her by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. "All these things that we're talking about would never have come to light if it wasn't for money. Drug abuse, DEA investigation, and indictment, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, University of Rochester School of Medicine, "Doctor Charged in Ordering Hit on Fellow MD", "An Eye for an Eye A Beloved Doctor Is Murdered In Cold Blood", "Murder conspiracy case grabs media glare", "Longtime friend remembers slain Dr. Stidham", "Forward Motion Schwartz's defense goes on the offensive while prosecutors claim he was seeking a hired killer last year", "Schwartz's parents say son OK'd firing Stidham", "Who is Dr. Bradley Schwartz? Schwartz decided to rob a local dentist, Dr. Victor Cook. She said she had left the house that morning without her handbag. Becky was convicted of embezzling from Mothers Against Drunk Driving -- more than $12,000, she used to buy a car and a boat for herself. Because unbeknownst to him, his father had already changed his estate plan a year earlier, leaving his entire fortune to Becky and nothing for his own children. WebThe murder of Robert Schwartz occurred on December 8, 2001, in Leesburg, Virginia. Fifty-five years ago in Hobbs, New Mexico, Schwartz himself was involved in another murder case. "I've never seen him move so quickly and he was a man who he could have the biggest argument in the world with you but he was very professional," Carter replied. [3][18] Schwartz was the case's primary suspect from October 6 onward, the day after Stidham's murder. "I would say that's a very accurate statement," Carter replied. "Everyone seems to universally hold such a high respect for him," said Carter. That's when his DNA got there. I was scared," he said. Through a family friend, Ben confirmed that in that conversation he told his mother it was a crazy idea that she shouldn't even joke about. In my heart of hearts, I knew that [Kyle] was going there to kill [my father]. At Claras trial in October 2002, the defense claimed Kyle was not supposed to take Claras words literally because they were part of the game. Becky and Dr. Schwartz had met in the late 1990s through a dating service, and were a committed couple. Three days after "It was feeling numb when people describe it. "It was well-known that he liked to gamble quite a bit," said Dyer. Dr. Schwartz was a well-known DNA sequencing researcher. "And if you cross her then, you know, you're basically gone," Patrick Olive said. [14] Schwartz also wrote prescriptions to his office manager, Laurie Espinoza, who would retrieve the medication and give it to Schwartz. '", Carter also struggled with Becky. 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. Peter Van Sant asked. [3], On October 15, police captured Bigger who was hiding just outside Tucson. Robert Schwartzs untimely death was ultimately the result of a cunning plot to have him killed. He faces a charge of first-degree murder in the slaying of Dr. Steven Patlin Schwartz, a 74-year-old doctor found dead inside his Tarpon Springs mansion in 2014. And he says the only reason he was in the house that morning was because Becky Schwartz sent him there. Schwartz moved to Italy, where he earned a medical degree. First published on July 29, 2017 / 11:25 PM. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for conspiracy to murder Stidham. She set me up. So, if youre wondering what happened, weve got you covered. I'm not the man," he said. "He was just a good dentist and a good -- become a good friend,' Cecil continued. Contact Dr. Robert G. Schwartz, MD, for an appointment. "Quite a life," Van Sant remarked. She remains incarcerated at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Troy, Virginia, and will be eligible for release in 2043. When Clara told him about her fathers alleged abusive behavior, he believed he had to protect her. Police arrested two of Clara Schwartzs friends and found the murder weapon in one of their homes. Joseph Schwartz feels very fortunate to have been providing outstanding care in Northwest Indiana since 1994. Becky got five years probation and had to pay back the money she stole. "A grieving widow is standing on a doorstep of the police department every morning, saying, 'Have you made any progress finding out who violently shot strangled and stabbed my husband?'" Police looked at Dr. Schwartz's inner circle. And he was going to be replaced with somebody far less expensive," deVlaming replied. "There's always that possibility," said deVlaming. [20] Schwartz was provided with a court-appointed defense attorney named Brick Storts. They looked into his family first and soon learned of his youngest daughter, Clara. "And he provided work for me. Meredith says Becky's lying was soon followed by betrayal. Khan practiced as an orthopedic surgeon at Owaisi hospital and had experience of She planned it for a long time," Stragaj replied. Kyle, Michael, and Katherine had been apprehended by February 2002. The authorities believed Robert was killed about two days before being found. [5], In 2001, Stidham answered an ad Bradley Schwartz had placed in a trade journal seeking someone to care for the pediatric patients in his Tucson ophthalmology practice,[6] Arizona Specialty Eye Care. As Meredith lay recovering in the hospital from her suicide attempt with prescription drugs, she had a surprise visitor: Becky. She 's just trying to lay low and find a path..... Possibility, '' Patrick Olive said '' deVlaming replied of a bear, '' Van Sant he sentenced... Shocking was that for you? if Skitzki or Lopez had come forward,. 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