Post by Scumhunter on Feb 4, 2016 18:29:05 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: Milwaukee Police Department Cold Case File section)
The still unsolved murder of Scott "Scooter" Schmidt was featured as a "My Story" on AMW's old website where family members write in to AMW to request a case be profiled on their website. In this case, the sister wrote in. I will post just the general information below as to not confuse readers but the sister's comments can be found in the archive link which I will provide below the admin notes at the bottom of this posting.
On May 26, 2005, Scott was having a casual night at home in the community of Bewers Hill when police say the night took a sharp turn for the worse. Around 11:55 p.m. authorities believe someone broke into his home. Then, for some unknown reason, police say the suspect fired a round of bullets.
Neighbors called the police when they reported hearing shots coming from Scott's home. Police say when they arrived at the scene Scott wasn't breathing. He had been shot in his right femoral artery and beaten in the head.
Emergency medical technicians rushed to Scott's aid and were able to get a pulse after performing CPR. Scott was then sent to the hospital to undergo extensive surgery to repair his artery. But, after six grueling hours, doctors pronounced Scott was brain dead. The Schmidt's were heart broken when doctors asked them to make one of the hardest decisions of their life....to remove the plug on Scott's respirator.
Scott died that night on a hospital bed surrounded by family and friends.
There was also another victim of the shooting that night. Scott's dog, Cosmo, was badly injured and nearly died. Police believe the supect shot the dog to stop him from barking. Cosmo was the only one to survive.
False Hope
Witnesses that night reported seeing two suspects run down the street after hearing the shots. Police were able to apprehend the suspects but after further questioning they were forced to release the two males. Without a confession or evidence to link them to the crime the police didn't have the authority to keep the men in custody.
Further investigations of evidence found in Scott's home looked promising. But as time went on the case began to grow cold.
Not Just Another Statistic
Scott Scmidt, 42, was known to do odd jobs in the downtown community of Waters Street in Milwaukee, Wis. Neighbors would often see Scott walking his dog and working hard around the neighborhood.
The Milwaukee Police Department is now offering a $5000 reward for the arrest and conviction of Scott's killer.
Thoughts? Like the Ashlyn Dyer case I also posted earlier today, when I searched for information on Scott's murder, I learned once again this is once again a case of good rising out of tragedy. Scooter's family started The Scooter Foundation to raise awareness of gun violence. The foundation works with inner city youth, and selected the elementary school in the neighborhood where Scott lived as its' focus. According to one article:
"Foundation members provide outings and activities for students in grades K-8 including roller skating, ice skating, field trips to the Domes and circus, Lake Michigan boat tours, plus an annual Christmas party. The students must earn points to participate in the outings, which they accomplish through a point system based on their grades, attendance, and good behavior. While fun and education are goals, the foundation also provides a safe and comfortable outlet for children who have been affected by gun violence to talk about their experience and emotions."
But I will say this, for all the great deeds Scooter's family has done, it should drive home the point more that they deserve justice. Yes, finding the killer and hopefully sending him to jail for a long time won't bring Scooter back. But at least there will be a sense of justice that in addition to all the good that has come out of tragedy, the personal responsible was held accountable as well.
Admin Note #1: According to the Milwaukee Police Department Cold Case website, Anyone with information is asked to call Milwaukee Police Cold Case Hotline at 414-935-1212. Please mention you saw the profile of the case on the Milwaukee Police Department’s Web site under “Cold Case Unit.”
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
web.archive.org/web/20100820220253/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=39436#case
milwaukeecoldcase.wordpress.com/2005/05/25/scott-p-schmidt/
www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/112131639.html
bayviewcompass.com/scooter-foundation-making-a-difference/