Jonathan Schmitz
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Jonathan Schmitz is an American murderer who is responsible for the murder of his neighbor and acquaintance, 32-year old Scott Amedure, on March 9, 1995. The murder took place following an appearance by both men on the daytime talk show The Jenny Jones Show when Amedure, who was gay, confessed that he had a crush on Schmitz during a "secret admirer" segment on the show.
Background edit
Schmitz and Amedure lived in the same neighborhood in Lake Orion, Michigan, and were considered acquaintances. It is unknown whether or not Schmitz knew that Amedure was gay prior to them both appearing on the show.
On March 6, 1995, Amedure videotaped an episode of The Jenny Jones Show, in which he admitted to being a secret admirer of Schmitz. Until the taping, Schmitz did not know who would be revealed as his secret admirer. Schmitz stated that he participated in the show due to curiosity, and he claimed later that the producers implied that his admirer was a woman, although the producers of the show claim that they did tell Schmitz that the admirer could be male or female.
During the segment, Amedure was encouraged by Jones to share his fantasies about Schmitz, after which Schmitz was brought onstage. According to The Washington Post, the two men exchanged an awkward embrace before the host dropped her bombshell. In response to Amedure's disclosure, Schmitz laughed, then stated that he was "completely heterosexual". It was later revealed that Schmitz was left angry and humiliated by Amedure's affections.
According to footage of the murder trial, it was stated later by a friend of Amedure's that Amedure and Schmitz went out drinking together the night after the taping and Amedure allegedly attempted to instigate a sexual encounter, but Schmitz rebuffed his advances.
According to the testimony at the murder trial, three days after the taping, Amedure left a "suggestive" note at Schmitz's house. Some reports indicate that, after finding the note, combined with the humiliation he suffered on the show and Amedure's alleged attempt to come on to him, he became convinced that Amedure was stalking him and was trying to "turn him gay." Schmitz withdrew money from a bank, purchased a shotgun, and then went to Amedure's mobile home. He questioned Amedure about the note. Schmitz then returned to his car, got his gun, and returned to Amedure's trailer. He then shot Amedure twice in the chest, killing him. After killing Amedure, Schmitz left the residence, telephoned 9-1-1, and confessed to the killing.
At trial, defense attorneys argued that Schmitz, who had been diagnosed with manic depression and Graves' disease, was caused to commit homicide by mental illness and humiliation, by way of the "gay panic defense". Schmitz was found guilty of second degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to 25–50 years in prison, but his conviction was overturned on appeal. Upon retrial, he was found guilty of the same charge once again and his sentence was reinstated. Schmitz was released from prison on August 22, 2017.