Jonathan Schmitz

Case record: Jonathan Schmitz

Status

Jonathan Schmitz was sentenced to 25–50 years in prison on December 4, 1996. His conviction was overturned on appeal. After retrial, he was found guilty of the same charge once again, and his sentence was re-instated on September 14, 1999.

Timeline

• December 4, 1996 — Schmitz was sentenced to 25–50 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm in commission of a felony.
• September 14, 1999 — On retrial, Schmitz was again convicted of second-degree murder and his 25-to-50-year sentence was re-instated.

Background

Jonathan Schmitz was born July 18, 1970. He was described as having a long-standing history of mental illness. The case involved the killing of Scott Amedure three days after the two men appeared on an episode of The Jenny Jones Show.

The offence

Schmitz killed Scott Amedure three days after Amedure appeared on The Jenny Jones Show and indicated that he was sexually attracted to Schmitz during a March 6, 1995 episode titled “Same-Sex Secret Crushes.” Schmitz was visibly shaken and embarrassed during the show; he stated that he was heterosexual and nervously laughed off the remarks.

After Amedure revealed the crush on the show, Amedure’s episode never aired, although excerpts were seen on news reports.

Investigation

After the taping, three days later, Amedure left a “suggestive” note at Schmitz’s house. Schmitz withdrew money from the bank, purchased a shotgun, and went to Amedure’s mobile home. There, he questioned Amedure about the note. Schmitz returned to his car, got his gun, and returned to Amedure’s trailer.

Schmitz shot Amedure twice in the chest, killing him. After killing Amedure, Schmitz left the residence, called 9-1-1, and confessed to the killing.

Trial

Charges

Schmitz was charged with first-degree murder and committing a felony with a firearm. The jury was allowed to consider lesser charges, including second-degree murder.

The jury’s verdict did not convict Schmitz of first-degree murder; it convicted him of second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Defence and prosecution positions (trial details described)

Schmitz’s attorneys argued diminished capacity. They claimed Schmitz lacked the mental state required to have committed premeditated murder when he shot Amedure. Lawyers attributed Schmitz’s reaction to Graves disease—a thyroid gland disorder that can cause irrational and violent behavior—and manic depression. The defence argued Schmitz snapped after finding the note on his doorstep.

The state argued that Amedure’s killing was not justified by any embarrassment caused by the show. The state said Schmitz drove to one store to purchase a shotgun, drove to another for ammunition, and drove to Amedure’s home before firing the fatal shots as evidence of premeditation.

The state also contended that when Schmitz went to Amedure’s mobile home, Schmitz became violent, and it said a police report indicating an upturned chair at the crime scene showed that Amedure was trying to defend himself.

Confessions

The state described an oral confession and a videotaped confession. In a pretrial hearing, the judge ruled that both confessions were inadmissible because:

• the oral confession was made without Schmitz being read his Miranda rights; and
• the videotaped confession was made while his right to counsel was being violated.

Verdict

On Nov. 12, 1996, the jury opted against first-degree murder and found Schmitz guilty of second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Sentencing

On Dec. 4, 1996, Schmitz received a 25-to-50-year sentence.

Schmitz also received a two-year sentence for illegal use of a firearm and received 1650 days credit for time already served in prison for Amedure’s killing.

On September 14, 1999, after retrial, Schmitz once again received a 25-to-50-year maximum sentence for the 1995 slaying of Scott Amedure.

During the sentencing on September 14, 1999, Schmitz apologized to the Amedure family and said:

“I'd like to say sorry to the Amedure family. I can't take any of this back. I want to thank all my family and friends who have stood by me.”

Schmitz’s father, Allyn, asked Judge Wendy Potts for leniency and stated:

“I've known Jon has had a very fragile personality. All these things were brought out at [the civil] trial. Please, your honor, be lenient with him, show him mercy.”

Judge Wendy Potts told Schmitz that a jury found he had made a calculated decision to kill Amedure after their appearance on The Jenny Jones Show. She told him he had three days to reconsider his actions and deal with the humiliation he felt over Amedure's same-sex, secret crush. The judge imposed the 25-to-50-year sentence and stated:

“Your sentence will rob you of your youth, but not your life.”

Appeals

An error in jury selection led a Michigan Appeals Court to overturn Schmitz’s first conviction in September 1998. Following the overturned conviction, Schmitz was tried again, and he was found guilty of the same charge once again; his sentence was re-instated on September 14, 1999.

Other details

Identity and victim details

Scott Bernard Amedure was born January 26, 1963 and died March 9, 1995. He was an American murder victim fatally shot after revealing on The Jenny Jones Show that he was attracted to an acquaintance.

Schmitz was described as a convicted murderer. Schmitz was also described as being 26 at the time he agreed to appear on the show’s secret admirers segment.

Episode and show-related facts

The episode was taped for The Jenny Jones Show on March 6, 1995. It was titled “Same-Sex Secret Crushes,” and it was described as a “same-sex, secret crush” episode. The episode never aired, but excerpts were seen on news reports.

Schmitz stated that he went on the show out of curiosity and later claimed that the producers implied that his admirer was a woman. During Jones’ Dec. 11, 1995 deposition, she insisted that the show, which never aired, had no connection to the shooting, and she contended that Schmitz was told that his admirer could be either male or female.

A note from a Jenny Jones staff member to Jenny Jones stated:

“Scott [Amedure] has an inkling that Jon [Schmitz] is bisexual”
and that Jon is “going to die when he sees it's Scott.”

Timeline around the killing (as described)

Amedure was taped for the March 6, 1995 episode. Three days after the taping, Amedure left a “suggestive” note at Schmitz’s house. Schmitz withdrew money from the bank, purchased a shotgun, went to Amedure’s mobile home, questioned him about the note, returned to his car for his gun, and shot Amedure twice in the chest.

A few minutes later, Schmitz dialed 911 from a pay phone at a gas station near his sister's house and said:

“I just walked in the room and killed him.”

Civil wrongful-death outcome involving the show

On May 7, 1999, a jury found The Jenny Jones Show and its maker, Time Warner, Telepictures, liable for the death of Amedure, and awarded his family $29.3 million.

The jury compensated the Amedure family with $6,500 in funeral and burial expenses, $5 million for Amedure’s pain and suffering, and $10 million each for loss of companionship and compensation.

The verdict was not unanimous: one out of nine jurors sided with the defendants. Eight jurors were needed for a verdict in favor of the Amedure family. Defendants’ attorney James Feeney stated:

“As far as the jury's decision goes, the verdict speaks for itself. But I think by the end of the day, when we take this before a court of appeals, the appeals court will feel otherwise,” Feeney said.
“I feel there is a no way this verdict will stand up in a court of appeals.”

The Michigan Court of Appeals overturned the award on October 22, 2002, in a 2 to 1 decision. The Michigan Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

People named (roles as described)

Frank Amedure, Sr. addressed the court and lamented that he would never see his son’s smile again because of Schmitz. Patricia Graves urged the judge to give Schmitz the sternest punishment and said Schmitz killed her son in cold blood. Graves noted that Schmitz would still be a relatively young man when he is released while Scott would not be able to grow old.

Jerome Sabbota asked Judge Potts for no more than a 15-year sentence.

Judge Francis X. O’Brien was named as the judge. Judge Francis X. O’Brien was elected to the Oakland County Circuit Court in 1976 and re-elected in 1982, 1988, and 1994.

Prosecutor Roman Kalytiak, an assistant county prosecutor in Oakland County, Michigan, was named as a key figure.

The lead attorney James Burdick was named, and Fred L. Gibson was named as defence counsel.

The senior vice president of Warner Bros., Zazi Pope, said the verdict would have a “chilling effect” on the talk-show industry and all media, and Pope also said:

“Our heart goes out to the Amedure family. We feel horrible that this terrible tragedy took place,” Pope said.
“But the facts are clear. Schmitz knew his secret crush could be a man. We will not settle this case, the issues are too important.”

Confinement and release information

Schmitz was imprisoned in the medium-security Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer, Michigan, with an earliest release date of July 1, 2017.