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Welcome to the Serial Killer Podcast. The podcast dedicated to serial killers. Who they were. What they did now. Episode 227. I am your humble host, Thomas Roseland Weyberg Thun. And tonight, we continue the tale of the killer cop, Gerard John Schaefer.
Last episode ended with me listing all the known and suspected victims. Tonight, I will present to you his ultimate fate. Enjoy.
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May 18th, 1973.
The sun beat down on Miami like a hammer on a melon, the air thick with humidity, and the stink of cheap suntan lotion. That day, Gerard John Schaefer Jr. found himself saddled with two counts of murder, Susan K. Place and Georgia M. Jessup, names that had become synonymous with a brand of terror that clung to the city like a shroud.
Seven sluggish weeks had crawled by since the grisly discovery of those Fort Lauderdale girls, their bodies blooming with decay on the desolate edge of Hutchinson Island. Three days before the official charges, the air crackled with a different kind of tension.
An agitated Robert Stone, the state attorney, flanked by a tight-lipped Lieutenant Patrick Duval and the oddly quiet Chief Investigator Lem Brumley, faced a gaggle of reporters. The room hummed with the restless energy of hungry wolves. Stone waited, a vein throbbing in his temple, until the din subsided to a low growl.
He spoke. His words clipped and laced with a barely contained frustration. Schaefer, he declared, was their only suspect. But a shadow lurked behind his pronouncement. The media. This feeding frenzy, this circus stone worried, would give the defense an easy path to a change of venue.
The trial, then, wouldn't unfold under the harsh glare of Miami's unforgiving sun. It would be transplanted, a weed pulled from its familial soil, and plunked down somewhere more forgiving, somewhere the story hadn't saturated the very air people breathed. Except the story had teeth. It had spread like a virus, leaping from local rag to national broadsheet.
It had even crossed the Atlantic, finding its way into the pages of a German magazine, Bunte, dubbing Schaefer the killer cop and lending the whole sordid affair an undesired international flavor. Yet, for all its reach, the story remained a sideshow.
Watergate, with its tangled web of lies and political machinations, commanded the headlines. Skylab, that rickety space station teetering on the brink of disaster, gobbled up the airwaves. And so, amidst the cacophony, the Schaefer case, for all its notoriety, began to fade.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, it was becoming yesterday's news, a grotesque tale pushed aside by the ever-churning gears of the world. The air in the press room hung thick with the stench of stale coffee and nervous sweat. Stone, the state attorney, wasn't looking much fresher.
He stood under the harsh glare of the light, a man facing a hurricane with nothing but a flimsy umbrella. The bombshell dropped early. No death penalty, even if Schaefer waltzed into court and confessed. A collective murmur rippled through the packed room, the sound of a hundred pence scratching in unison. Stone held up a hand, his voice tight. See, the murders were a chronological nightmare.
Medical examiners couldn't pinpoint a time of death for those girls, those who vanished on the 27th of September 1972, like smoke signals in the night. Back then, Florida's justice system was a sunshine state with a dark secret. No capital punishment. Murderers got a slap on the wrist, practically a welcome wagon, until the 1st of October.
Four measly days after the girls likely met their end, the state finally flipped the switch on old Sparky. A slap in the face for the families, a political headache for Stone himself. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, you could say. The voters wanted blood. But the law? Well, the law was a stubborn mule sometimes. This was just the tip of the iceberg.
Stone, wiping his brow with a crumpled handkerchief, dropped another bombshell. Fifteen other states were sniffing around, their unsolved murders and missing persons smelling suspiciously like Schaefer's handiwork. A dozen, maybe more cases, piling up like bodies in a morgue. The worst part was that nobody knew for sure how many victims were out there, lost and never coming home.
The press corps scribbled furiously, vultures circling a carcass. This story would have legs. A media frenzy brewing. But for the families of the missing, it was a fresh hell. Years of gnawing doubt with no answers and no end in sight. Stone knew this case would follow him like a bad smell. Constant reminder of the legal hurdles and the human cost. It was clear.
There would be nothing easy about this one. While the investigation, or investigations, as it were, continued, Schaefer remained in Martin County Jail. Both the defense and the prosecution wanted Schaefer to be examined by psychiatrists to determine if he was competent to stand trial.
Stone desired only a declaration of competence. Elton Schwartz, on the other hand, requested that Schaefer be sent to the state mental hospital to determine if he was sane enough to stand trial. Because of the bizarre nature of the crimes, and the subsequent finding at Schaefer's mother's Fort Lauderdale home, Judge C. Pfeiffer Throbridge, the justice who would rule the case,
declared that Schaefer would undergo psychiatric examination at the state's facility. Schaefer would be given a 30-day evaluation at the Florida State Mental Hospital in Chattahoochee. As evidence mounted against Schaefer, it became clear to him and his family that if he should stand trial, his best defense would be a plea of insanity.
It is these psychiatric evaluations that are such important elements in the bewildering case of Gerard Schaefer. Though many of them are quite similar, it is interesting to note how each psychiatrist diagnosed Schaefer and how he presented himself to each doctor. Each evaluation is only slightly different from another.
I bring to you here, dear listener, the evaluation by Dr. Ogburn in full, and I quote, He always described himself as a loner, and stated that he had few friends as a child. He has always tended to distrust other people. He first became involved with sexual activity about the age of puberty, twelve or thirteen. He often masturbated.
using women's clothing, dressed in them. In addition, he often tied himself to a tree, or would allow himself to be suspended from a tree by a rope, either around his neck or sometimes around his waist, and would get sexual gratification from this. During this time, he would have fantasies of killing himself, and at times, he would almost lose consciousness.
He felt that he almost killed himself once by these means. He became interested in the Catholic religion more intensively during his teenage years and eventually applied for the priesthood at age 17, but was rejected and has turned from the church since that time. The patient describes some normal heterosexual sexual activity during his teenage years, however,
In the past four to five years, his sexual behavior has become more of a concern to him. He describes killing horses and cows with a machete, and then having sex with them later, sometimes after cutting off their heads. He remembers feeling invincible when he attacks the animals, and has the feeling that he is a third person, and he is looking at himself.
Mr. Schaefer attended college and has received a degree in social science. He also has an associate degree in criminology. While he was attending college, he became increasingly concerned about himself and his impulses and eventually sought psychiatric help and saw a psychiatrist on several occasions.
He was particularly concerned about his hostile feelings, and he recalls vague voices telling him to kill people. However, he was able to not respond. He stated that at the suggestion of the psychiatrist, he began writing and drawing some of his fantasies. He also began shooting and killing inanimate objects, feeling that these activities would help relieve some of his feelings.
He also describes having some blackouts and feeling disoriented and not knowing how he got to a particular place after he found himself there. Mr. Schaefer has had a poor work history. He has worked some as a guide in the Everglades. He has also attempted to teach school. However, this lasted only a very short period of time.
In addition, he has worked in law enforcement jobs, however none of these lasted very long. He would eventually be involved in some conflict, and he usually felt he was unfairly treated. He has been married on two occasions. His first marriage only lasted about one year. He states that there was much incompatibility, primarily in the sexual area.
He and his present wife were married in September 1971, and he states it has been a good marriage. He states he and his wife have many activities which they share, that there have been no significant problems with the marriage, and describes a compatible sexual relationship.
As noted earlier, the patient's wife was also seen to evaluate the entire situation. She impressed me as being a somewhat naive 21-year-old white female who seemed to have a genuine positive interest in her husband and has been shocked and quite dismayed and upset over the charges.
She has considered a divorce, however, at this time she feels that she will stand by her husband. She tends to deny any particular problems with their relationship or marriage, and the only concern she had was at his inability to hold a job. However, she has seen this as he has been unable to find himself.
She denies any indication of psychiatric illness in her husband, and has had many doubts about the charges. However, she felt quite concerned about the material which he had written.
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So first, call your parents to say I'm sorry, and then download the Instacart app to get delivery in as fast as 30 minutes all school year long. Get a $0 delivery fee with your first three orders while supplies last. Minimum $10 in order, additional terms apply. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.
as a family man with three kids i know first-hand how extremely difficult it is to make time for self-care but it's good to have some things that are non negotiable for some that could be a night out with the boys chugging beers and having a laugh for others it might be an eating night
For me, one non-negotiable activity is researching psychopathic serial killers and making this podcast. Even when we know what makes us happy, it's often near impossible to make time for it. But when you feel like you have no time for yourself, non-negotiables like therapy are more important than ever.
If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible and suited to your schedule. Everyone needs someone to talk to, even psychopaths, even your humble host. Never skip therapy day with BetterHelp.
Visit BetterHelp.com slash SerialKiller today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash SerialKiller. The patient, presented as an alert, cooperative white male who initially showed some reluctance to talk, had many concerns about the reasons for the interview.
However, as the situation was clarified, he became more open and talked quite freely. He tended to ramble at times, and it was difficult for him to always deal with the particular issue. However, there was no gross disorganization of thought. There was no evidence of delusions or hallucinations, although he did describe some voices in the past telling him to kill people.
There tended to be a paranoid trend to his thinking, and a tendency to mistrust and to withdraw from people. His affect was usually appropriate and animated, however. On occasion there was noted some inappropriate responses, particularly when he was talking about some of his sexual acting out and sadistic behavior. He would seem to smile inappropriately.
He seemed to have some difficulty in always distinguishing between the reality of the situation and some of the active fantasy life he has participated in. He was felt to be intelligent with reasonable judgment. He certainly had insight into his need for treatment and to the bizarreness of some of his behavior.
There was considerable ambivalence noted, particularly in his relationship with women, more specifically with his mother. The ambivalence seemed to be more than would normally be seen in an individual. In summary, Mr. Schaefer gives a background of a very traumatic childhood, with a punitive father and a very difficult relationship with his mother.
There was early evidence of bizarre sexual acting out, together with poor identity as a man. There is noted a schizoid type of character with a paranoid element. For the past few years, the patient seems to have become more disorganized with periods of active fantasy life in which some of his behavior was very bizarre. There has been evidence of considerable paranoid feelings,
hostility and anger, which erupts and explodes with little stress. The patient's behavior at this time and during the interview with a consideration of his history appears to be indicative of a psychotic illness, mainly paranoid schizophrenia. He appears to have a very marginal ability of tolerating normal stresses and becomes very disturbed with little stimulation.
in addition there seems to be a very active fantasy life which is just beneath the surface and also is immobilized with little stimulation it is noted that past examiners have seen this patient as representing a character disorder
And it is my feeling, in consideration of his background, the mental status of the patient, and a review of the psychological evaluation done at this hospital, that a more appropriate diagnosis would be paranoid schizophrenia. Recommendation.
It is my impression that this patient will require long-term inpatient psychiatric treatment. He is considered to be a very dangerous person, both to himself and to others. Signed, Benjamin R. Ogburn, M.D. End quote. Before the trial could begin to start, the pre-trial hearings would have to take place.
This is where time is voraciously consumed. During this phase, the evidence is listed, and the witness lists for both defense and prosecution, and the motions are filed, and this case had many. In fact, the motions and their denials or acceptances would take up nearly half of the court transcripts.
Additionally, during this time, both the prosecution and the defense were feverishly looking for new evidence to either help the defendant or condemn him. After the pre-trial hearings, motions had to be filed and a jury was to be selected.
The state filed, finally, saying that there was not a death penalty in Florida until the 8th of December 1972, according to the US Supreme Court,
and that the girls were killed on the 27th of September 1972. Therefore, they did not have to use a grand jury because Schaefer had committed the capital crime before capital punishment was instated in Florida. On the 19th of September 1973, the double murder trial of Gerard John Schaefer began.
The jury had been selected quickly, in just two days, which greatly pleased Judge C. Pfeiffer-Throwbridge. He was expected the Wardir jury selection examination to go on for some time. There were six jurors selected, and alternates, in case of something happening to one of the original jurors causing him or her to be replaced, and they were
Julian R. Arkin, a real estate salesman, 74 years old, his face wrinkled as a raisin and almost as dark baked by the Florida sun. He was intense and logical, often leaning forward in his seat to hear every bird spoken. Betty P. Ho, she too was in real estate, but at 44, she'd also been a nurse for many years.
Her face still reflected the caring yet solemn expression of the world-weary medical professional. She was awed by her selection, but confident, even appearing relaxed in the jury box. She was selected as Superintendent of the Jury. Cathy Walkley, 42. Intelligent, soft-spoken woman. She worked at Indian River Community College.
At times, as she listened to testimony, particularly that of the medical examiners, her face drew tight to her skull, her color paled. Paulette Tompkins, a nineteen-year-old newlywed, at her young age, she'd never been called for jury duty and didn't particularly want the position, yet she'd answered the questions put forth by the attorneys.
now though she was obligated to sit through this trial she rather had been back at the soft-drink plant where she worked or better still with her new husband at home warren wrobleski a forty-year-old business man who managed an electric parts business
He showed no emotions throughout the trial, except perhaps for some agitation for having to sit for so many hours on hardwood seats. He would rather have been conducting business than sitting in a stuffy, cramped courtroom.
William J. Forbes, 30, a former construction worker who had suffered a back injury, thus was forced into a new field, that of a trainee at a savings and loan association. Though he was worried about losing his new position at the bank, and his injured back began to ache after hours of sitting, he did not mind being a juror. In fact, he had already formed opinions of the man on trial.
a cardinal sin for a juror, he felt it was his duty to justice to stay on as a juror. Later he would become a critical element in this case.
These six jurors, Forbes, Tyson and Walkley had no children. Arkin had a middle-aged son, Robleski had two boys, 13 and 14, and Hoare was the mother of two girls, 16 and 17, and one boy aged 13. They were selected from 35 candidates that had been questioned from a list of 102 names drawn.
There were also two alternate jurors, Joanne E. Harton, 21, a nurse's aide, and Mildred M. Loveglio, a mother of five children, ranging in age from 18 to 26. The group represented a random sampling of people from various walks of life, Gerard Schaefer's peers.
The trial lasted for eight days before closing arguments were held by defense attorney Shaler and prosecutor Stone. The air hung heavy in the courtroom, thick with cigarette smoke and the tension that had been simmering for weeks. Stone, his face creased with exhaustion, slumped back in his chair after his closing argument.
the judge looking tired with a perpetually ruffled necktie took over he droned on about murder degrees and the finer points of juror etiquette the jury shuffled off to deliberate their faces grim under the harsh courtroom lights
Just as the clock struck 3.55, a commotion erupted in the hallway. Apparently, someone with a heart full of misplaced loyalty decided to call in a bomb threat. The jury quickly got hustled out of their room. Thankfully, the whole thing turned out to be a hoax. The suspicion being that one of Schaefer's friends was behind it. After a lengthy break for dinner, the jury finally reconvened.
Hours crawled by like molasses in January. Then, just past 10:30 p.m., a bailiff went over to the judge. The verdict was in. The judge cleared his throat and warned the families against any courtroom theatrics. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a switchblade. Here is the transcript of what happened next, and I quote: "The Judge.
"All right. Bring the jury out, please." "All right, ladies and gentlemen, have you reached your verdict in this case?" "Don't read them. Just say yes or no." Poor woman Betty Ho. "Yes, your honor." The judge. "All right. Hand them to the bailiff, please." "All right. The clerk will publish the verdict. You may omit the captions. Just read the body." Deputy Clerk Douglas Dixon.
As to count one verdict, we the jury find the defendant Gerard J. Schaefer Jr. guilty of murder in the first degree, so say we all. Dated this 27th day of September, A.D. 1973. Signed, Betty Hall, foreman.
As to count two, verdict. We, the jury, find the defendant Gerard J. Schaefer Jr. guilty of murder in the first degree. So say we all. Dated this 27th day of September, A.D. 1973. Signed, Betty Hall. Foreman. Judge Throlbridge asked each jury if this verdict was theirs, and each answered, Yes, sir. End quote.
The verdict came at approximately the same hour, exactly one year before, when Susan Place and Georgia Jessop were being murdered on Hutchinson Island. On the 4th of October, 1973, the court reassembled to sentence Gerard Schaefer. When asked if he had anything to say before sentencing, Schaefer said that he, and I quote,
did not know those girls, and never killed anybody in my life." But he asked the mercy of the court to send him to a state mental hospital where, and again I quote his words, "...the doctors in their wisdom, if they can find if I did it, then I will know it."
Judge Throbridge sentenced him to two concurrent, served at the same time rather than consecutive, life sentences.
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After two decades of appeals, twenty in total, being shut down by courts, Schaefer faded from public memory. Then, in 1990, a former girlfriend unearthed a chilling legacy, a collection of Schaefer's stories titled Killer Fiction. More volumes followed.
While Schaefer claimed they were art, police and prosecutors saw them as thinly veiled confessions. Schaefer's own letters backed up their suspicions. In a 1991 exchange with an attorney, he referenced a story titled "Murder Demons" and scoffed, and I quote: "What crimes do you want me to confess? You don't recognize them when I offer them on a platter." End quote.
This wasn't the only cryptic clue. Another letter boasted of a personal list exceeding 80 victims, a stark contrast to the 28 attributed to him by authorities. Schaefer's luck finally ran out on the 3rd of December 1995. Another inmate, named Vincent Rivera, brutally murdered him in his cell.
First by gouging out his eyes with a shiv, and then slicing open his throat. Schaefer's death would have been extremely traumatic, rather slow, and more painful than easily imagined. And with that, we come to the end of the saga of the killer cop Schaefer. Next episode, I'll bring you a fresh serial killer expose. So, as they say in the land of radio,
Stay tuned.
