Richard Schmelzer: How a Texas grandson drove 900 miles and for 14 hours in a bid to murder his grandmother in order to collect half his inheritance.
Richard Scmelzer a 44 year old Texas man has been found guilty first degree murder after conspiring to kill his grandmother in order to inherit half her estate.
The guilty verdict reports the chicagotribune came after a Kane County, Chicago jury convicted the man who drove to Illinois where he fatally stabbed 85 year old woman, Mildred ‘Dodie’ Darrington as she slept.
During trial proceedings prosecutors said the Frisco, Dallas grandson who lived an extravagant lifestyle beyond his means found himself behind on his mortgage and deeply in debt.
Some of the man’s liabilities and expenses included hiring a $250-an-hour Las Vegas escort, ringing up nearly $30,000 in cash advances against Darrington’s credit card in the months leading up to her death.
Hurting for cash, Schmelzer in July, 2014 drove hundreds of miles to East Dundee, Illinois with the intention of ending his grandmother’s life in a bid to collect much needed funds.
44-year-old Richard Schmelzer, drove 900 miles from Texas to Illinois to kill his… https://t.co/cWP14Djtxd pic.twitter.com/Rk33568dw7
— Ksley8 (@KonnieMoments1) December 21, 2016
During the man’s trial, the prosecution argued Schmelzer had gone to great lengths to cover his crime as by then family members had increasingly refused to loan the man money.
Offered Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon: ‘As we gathered the evidence of Mildred’s murder, it became clear how Mr. Schmelzer went to great lengths to attempt to cover up his crime, from having a friend rent a car on his behalf to lying to his family about where he’d be when he actually drove to Illinois to commit murder, and even attempting to fabricate an alibi. His deceit is astonishing, and it was done because he was so overcome with greed.
Adding: Quite frankly, it’s still hard to fathom — this man killed his own grandmother to further a lifestyle of gluttony that he couldn’t otherwise pay for. He had 14 hours and 900 miles to rethink his plan, but he carried it out, anyway, a calculated, cold-blooded murder.’
According to the chicagodailyherald, the grandson, a married father of four children had stood to inherent $300K upon the woman’s death.
Richard Schmelzer faces up to 20 to 60 years jail upon his sentencing next month.
