Stragaj says he worked on all the Schwartz's homes, including the mansion they lived in. "Why would he do that?" I'm not the man," he said. A former college student was found guilty Tuesday of first-degree murder for enlisting a friend to kill her scientist father with a sword. The murder? Carter went to medical school, following in his father's footsteps. They started with his family, and Clara Schwartz, his youngest daughter, was discovered The sudden murder of a prominent scientist at his secluded farmhouse led the authorities on a complex murder investigation. [2] Bradley Alan Schwartz, also a pediatric ophthalmologist, and Ronald Bruce Bigger, a hit man, were arrested and convicted for the murder. WebMurder On December 8, 2001, Robert Schwartz was stabbed to death with a sword at his Leesburg, Virginia farmhouse. And I said, 'Listen, I'm your man for construction, but I don't know what you're lookin' for.' But Schwartz never did take care of it. She stated in one of the messages that she didnt want the murder to be linked to her if Kyle was the perpetrator. Stragaj is not the only one suspicious of Becky Schwartz. Van Sant asked Carter Schwartz. The authorities discovered instant messages between Clara and Kyle on her computer that discussed killing Robert. She settled that suit for an undisclosed amount. "she didn't have five children.". He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. "Basically, 'if you get better, call me. But still, I can't see Leo hurting Dr. Schwartz. LARGO, FL While Anton Stragaj awaits trial in the 2014 murder of Tarpon Springs Dr. Steven Schwartz, his wife is now behind bars in the very same jail on unrelated charges. When I go grab it, I found dead body," Stragaj replied. Carter Schwartz was on the way home after travelling in Japan when he got word of his father's murder. According to Katherine, Clara wanted her father dead and talked about the money she would inherit if that became a reality. Schwartz has been in jail since her arrest in February on the campus of James Madison University, where she was a student. You know, everything was just over the top with her," said April Cox. Schwartz, a prominent local nephrologist, was found dead in WebDaughter Gets 48 Years In Slaying of Her Father By Maria Glod February 11, 2003 Clara Jane Schwartz, a former college student obsessed by vampires, assassins and magic, Within a day or so after Robert was located, Claras friend, Katherine Inglis, claimed Clara was involved with her fathers murder. "He said, 'I'm going home. And as time went on, Meredith felt Becky was becoming a little too close to her own husband. Schwartz, the shooter, spent nine years in prison. And big money. Pima County paid the entire amount on behalf of Paul Skitzki. [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]. 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. She probably wasn't the one who pulled the trigger, but she was behind it all," said Dr. Patton. Family friend Anton Leo Stragaj, who was hired to manage the 38 rental properties owned by Schwartz, was charged with first-degree murder. Patrick Olive and April Cox say that around 9 a.m., Becky unexpectedly showed up at their house. Schwartz had Carter and two other children from his previous relationships. That that's how his DNA got there. "I would say that's a very accurate statement," Carter replied. Clara was the youngest of Roberts three children; she had an older brother and sister. '", Carter also struggled with Becky. He took the bag back to Becky that morning and confronted her. Phillip Dyer, who drove Schwartz to the scene, but backed out before the crime, Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Dr. Steven Schwartzs brother, James Schwartz, filed suit against her on behalf of the doctors three adult children. Currently, stem cell therapy is not FDA approved. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, Looking for your new favorite restaurant? But he was very good at his job, and paid more than $100,000 a year by Dr. Schwartz. Largo Police announced Emirjoni "Lola" Como Stragajs arrest Thursday. But Stragaj insists he didn't do itthat Becky was the culprit. Friends said Schwartz's wife died of cancer several years ago and their three children are away at college. 2012-2023, 2paragraphs Productions, LLC. [5] Schwartz and Goldberg were eating at a Thai restaurant in Tucson shortly after the murder occurred. Furthermore, deVlaming says, Stragaj's story of being in the house to retrieve Becky's purse makes no sense. At the time of the incident, he lived in a farmhouse away from the city in Leesburg, Virginia. "I had nothing against the man. "My theory is that Dr. Schwartz was gonna retire. Schwartz was a tall, handsome kid from New York, the son of a doctor. "All of those are false. 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 Robert Schwartz Murder Case Where is Clara Schwartz Now? WebIn 1961, 21-year-old Steven Schwartz robbed and murdered a dentist in Hobbs, New Mexico. He refused to testify last week against his friend, citing his right to avoid self-incrimination. And there were bizarre behaviors after Dr. Schwartz's death that fed speculation about Becky's involvement. "He never lost sight of paying back his debt to society. But the hard drive had been removed. "Well, that's one possibility," he replied. "When you heard the news that your father had killed a man, how shocking was that for you?" At one point, Schwartz asked House when he really would kill her father, but he never followed through, he testified. Because the jury could not make a decision on the first-degree murder charge, Schwartz would have been eligible for parole after serving 25 years (in 2029). It's absolutely laughably ridiculous," said deVlaming. How's your teeth doin'?'" WebBack to the United States, and on December 10th, Dr. Robert M. Schwartz was found murdered in Leesberg, Virginia. When Robert Schwartz was found murdered at his home in 2001, investigators had reason to believe the attack was targeted. She -- she staged this. In 2011, Ben was arrested and convicted of stealing jewelry from the Schwartz home. But sadly, I don't think anyone matters to her but herself.". Wil Florin: When did you first start -- this is her own son you're -- and that -- that you're concerned -- your husband -- that his mother is setting him up for the murder? "Her. Robert was a well-known scientist who pioneered biometrics and DNA studies. Is-- is this -- drink talk and not -- what was that?' In the end, a jury found Clara guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and two counts of solicitation to commit murder. Clara had also informed Kyle that she would be spending the holidays with her father in the Virgin Islands. You're not alone", "Conviction upheld in Tucson doctor's slaying", "Schwartz cites prison assaults, sues state", "Inmate Schwartz files claim vs. state, citing four beatings", "Ex-county prosecutor disbarred by state Supreme Court", Bradley Schwart's profile at the Arizona Department of Corrections, Bruce Bigger's profile at the Arizona Department of Corrections, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Brian_Stidham&oldid=1141816162, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 23:39. That "hidden information," Carter says, is that Becky was moving money from their joint bank accounts. "And why would she want you dead?" Robert was stabbed and slashed more than thirty times and had an X carved on his back. I don't understand what's changed, what happened,'" she said. [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. [3] Earlier in the day, Fifty-five years ago in Hobbs, New Mexico, Schwartz himself was involved in another murder case. Flick, a reporter who covered the case for the Tucson Citizen, wrote a best-selling, true-crime book published in 2018 titled "Toxic Rage: A Tale of Murder in Tucson" (WildBlue Press). Nor did she understand what she learned about Becky from a Google search. "Was there blood on the knife?" [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. [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. In December 2001, however, tragedy befell the Schwartz family. [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. Van Sant asked. And after he found the body, Leo Stragaj made what he says was the biggest mistake of his life. Michael pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received 18 years in prison. He's obviously dead -- right?" "Oh, I imagine he had maybe $1,000 or more at the time on him," Cecil said. [4][20] Bigger had previously been convicted of criminal recklessness, check deception, and possession of marijuana in LaPorte, Indiana and was a fugitive from that state. "I think you'd have to be willfully ignorant not to see it," he replied. And if she had somebody else helping her," Stragaj replied. WebDr. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for conspiracy to murder Stidham. "She is clearly a sociopath, without a doubt," said Dr. Patton. "She's got something to hide. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "This is a woman whose son was killed by a drunk driver. [3] Earlier in the day, Schwartz had engaged in a series of phone calls with Ronald Bruce Bigger. But a shocking incident long in Dr. Schwartz's past may provide a clue. They looked into his family first and soon learned of his youngest daughter, Clara. That," he replied. In 2009, Schwartz claimed to have been attacked numerous times by inmates. [3], The DNA evidence from Bigger in Stidham's car also provided evidence for the prosecution. Despite the fact that 83% of the jury pool had been exposed to some of the pretrial media, Bigger's appeal was thrown out by the Arizona Court of Appeals in May 2011. 48 Hours airs Fridays at 9pm and 10pm on CBS. And we've alleged that Leo and Becky conspired to murder him," said Roebig. He felt compelled to defend Clara when she informed him of her fathers alleged abuse. No trial date has been set for Leo Tragaj's murder trial. "money was her way of connecting.". [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. "Here's a guy who's been shot, strangled, blood -- why would you touch him at all to begin with? Her son, Eric, even got a Verizon store to run in Wisconsin. Schwartz moved to Italy, where he earned a medical degree. "Very," he replied. "I figure that's why Schwartz went there, to rob him.". I'm really short and -- and don't tell my mom. In 2007, the Arizona Supreme Court officially disbarred her for her connection to the drug case. I'm sure she planned it for a long time.". I said, 'That's a misprint, because she met her husband in med school in New York 35 years ago. "It was feeling numb when people describe it. So who killed Dr. Schwartz? The events surrounding the 2004 murder were broadcast on the Investigation Discovery series Solved in October 2008. Van Sant asked. Soon, the police went about chasing every lead possible. Millions and millions of dollars worth of money," said Becky's attorney, Denis deVlaming. [20] Schwartz was provided with a court-appointed defense attorney named Brick Storts. But they then began to focus on the Schwartz's longtime employee and contractor, Anton Leo Stragaj. Clara had spent a lot of time talking about how her father, Robert, was an abusive man who tried to kill her by poisoning her meals. I think he did everything he could to pay back society," he said. [3][7] In October 2001, two DEA agents interviewed Lopez as part of a criminal investigation involving Schwartz. What the authorities found out next was a shocking tale of manipulation and fantasy. You didn't call 911. "Well, I think she's been trying to find a purpose," Kym Rivellini said. 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