Robert Schwartz died in the worst way possible. He was stabbed to death with a long sword in his isolated farmhouse more than 15 years ago. According to tonight’s The Perfect Murder documentary, the sadistic killing was orchestrated by Robert Schwartz’ daughter, Clara Schwartz. Prosecutors alleged the crime was part of a role play fantasy . Co-conspirators Kyle Hulbert, Michael Pfohl, and Katherine Inglis were all arrested for their part in the crime. The episode title for this week’s The Perfect Murder is “The Devil Made Me Do It.”
December 2001: Virginia Farmhouse Murder
When Robert Schwartz failed to show up to work, no one could have guessed that he was lying dead in his Leesburg, Virginia farmhouse, a place he was proud to call home. Authorities found scientist Robert Schwartz, 57, with stab wounds to the body.
Even more bizarre and disturbing, the letter “X” was etched into the back of his neck. The killing had sadistic and Satanic overtones to it. The finding confused investigators as they tried to find enemies who could be responsible for the savage attack.
According to The Perfect Murder , all leads traced back to Robert’s daughter, Clara Schwartz. The girl simply hated her father and had convinced a friend to kill him. She had wanted the crime to look like a natural death. However, Kyle Hulbert, 19, brutally killed the Loudon County scientist with a 27-inch sword.
Detectives unscrambled the details of the killing after a woman named Katherine Inglis made incriminating statements to them, pointing to Clara’s involvement.
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Killing Was A Fantasy
A student at James Madison University, Clara Schwartz was a troubled girl who met Kyle Hulbert at a festival in 2001. He was mentally ill and had an obsession with demons and witchcraft. The two bonded over their love of vampires, magic, and the occult, according to the Los Angeles Times.
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Playing on his emotions, Clara Schwartz fed Kyle Hulbert stories about her so-called abusive father, even telling him a story about how her father tried to kill her with lemon-laced poison. Kyle Hulbert was willing to do it because he considered himself a warrior who was supposed to protect Clara, according to the Washington Post .
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The strange letter “X” that was carved into the back of Robert Schwartz’ neck was all part of their dark fantasy. Authorities believe that Clara Schwartz was a sick and selfish daughter who wanted to get her hands on the inheritance money.
Instead, Clara Schwartz was handed a sentenced of 48 years in prison. She remains there today. To see how the crime unfolded, watch this week’s episode of The Perfect Murder at 9/8 p.m. Central on Investigation Discovery.
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The murder of Robert Schwartz is reminiscent of the murder of Steven Robards, a man who was killed by his daughter, Marie Robards, in the 1990s. In that criminal case, Marie Robards poisoned her father’s Mexican food. Then, she confessed to killing her father after listening to a reading of Shakespear’s Hamlet.
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[Featured Image by Chris Livingston/ AP Images]