Spencer asked Linda Heidt. Craig Heidt: I know that it looks bad but I'm gonna tell you something, I couldn't do that to my brother. Jerry Smith, 52, and Sharon Smith, 41, were both pronounced dead at the scene. You just kinda point and shoot.". Juror #2: Once I seen the bruises that was, like, yeah, he's guilty. "He knew that something was wrong with me and that I wasn't acting like myself.". Linda was the mothershe's comin' outta the bathroom to see what's going on because she doesn't have a clue the left side of her face was extensively damaged and then the shot continued through her right shoulder. Zara's husband announces a two-month tour with his rugby podcast Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! Wed, Apr 20, 2011 60 mins A teenage mom and her circle of friends become involved in a strange murder case in California. Philip was Philip Heidt - a man to be reckoned with in Effingham County, Ga., and a pal of McDuffie's. From catching each others eye in English class to tying the knot soon after graduation, their courtship was genuinely a whirlwind. He claimed he had fallen out of the shower and fallen over a toilet. "Robbery wasn't the motive. "He pointed out to the officer that was present, that was doin' security, that his shotgun was missin'," Agent Howard told Spencer. "It was, 'cause I had never seen Mr. Philip that angry," she said. Effingham County, IL Arrest Records What are Effingham County Arrest Statistics? She knew he was lying to her, she says, especially when he said that he and Carey had patched things up before the shootings. "I just, I was just in shock". I know my child. Gary B. Schmitt, an Effingham man who murdered his father in 2010 and attempted to murder two others in 2011, has been charged with aggravated battery as a result of . Spencer commented to Robin. All three bodies were undergoing autopsies Monday in Springfield, but no results were available Monday evening. "Had the officer asked about his shotgun? Robin and Craig got a rude awakening the next morning. Robin found him irresistible. . "Exactly," Myrick said. The homicide investigation took a bizarre twist in March 2010 when the named suspect, Mr. Hollister, was arrested and charged with attempted murder of his wife, Rebecca Hollister. Carey, like his father, also went on to become a respected businessman in the community; while Craig, an avid hunter, lived in a secluded cabin in a hunting club near Oliver. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. I mean, and I was, like, 'I don't really care what people think. And my family was telling me, you know, 'Do you know how this looks?' "No. Officer James Dingledein said. First published on July 14, 2012 / 10:55 PM. "His father and grandfather used to . He was also charged with numerous other crimes including aggravated battery, aggravated assault, attempted arson, burglary, and three counts of possession of a firearm while committing a felony. On August 25, 2008, Philip and Carey were shot to death in their beds. "You've forgiven yourself?" IDOT said the 7-mile project costs $50 million and is [] ', Scars: Linda Heidt, who believes her son is innocent, was shot through the left side of her face in the attack, In court: Craig Heidt was found guilty last year of murdering his father and brother and shooting his mother, Craig was 'very angry' about his father's reaction, Robin said. Jerry Smith had a criminal record in Effingham County that included two convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol and one conviction for misdemeanor battery that had been pled down from an original felony charge of aggravated battery. "And I wouldfinally allow things to come into my mind and in my heart," she told Susan Spencer. ", "I wrote down in my journal that I knew what hell smelled likeGasoline and gunpowder," Linda told Spencer. I did not see Craig in that room. Crocker was sentenced to life without parole, narrowly escaping the death penalty. it was silly.". Rape. Sager said a rifle and a handgun were recovered at the scene. Spencer asked Carey's wife, Robin Heidt. The upcoming episode of Oxygen's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered delves deep into the shocking deaths of a father and son from a prominent business family in Effingham County in 2008. [I realised] there is this chance that he could have done this. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Prosecutor Michael Muldrew said the brother-in-law, who moved in with Robin four months after the murders, had a sure motive for the killings. Beason murders. They all took a single bullet from a shotgun to their face, with Craig Heidt serving as the triggerman. Today, life in Effingham County has returned to normal, or as near normal as it can be in a small community where so many suspicions linger. Shooting spree: The gunman also killed his father Philip, left, and shot his mother Linda, right, in the face, Crime scene: Officers arrived at a scene that had been staged to look like a robbery - but found keys in the door. NBC's 'Dateline: Mystery in Effingham County' is an episode that explores a case of lust and greed that shook the state of Georgia to its core. "you know there is this chance that he could have done this.". The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took the lead in investigating at the request of Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie, who knew Philip Heidt well. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. Craig Heidt had also looked at land with a Realtor, saying he expected to have some money soon. According to the Illinois State Police, Christopher E . "I definitely wasn't thinking about my children when I did it, how it would affect them," said Robin. He wanted the kids that adored him. Four other people in the home at 704 S. Willow St. in Effingham were unharmed, police said. It did; in fact, it had three of them. And she had been shaking as if she was afraid.". 492 talking about this. Compared to neighboring county Bond and county Boone . You'd have to ask them.". Given the close range, Linda probably would have died instantly had she not turned her head at the moment of impact. 'Disgust at the affair, disgust at just him period. "The scene was staged to look like it was a burglary," said Agent Howard. Effingham County had 1,480 arrests for the last 3 years, in 2017 the arrest rate was 849.91 per 100.000 population which is by 15.01% higher than the National average of 739.02 per 100.000 inhabitants. He is taking his dead brother's children to school," Muldrew said. "I know I didn't do anything. Effingham County had 486 arrests for the last 3 years, in 2017 the arrest rate was 412.96 per 100.000 population which is by 44.12% lower than the National average of 739.02 per 100.000 inhabitants. During Philip Craig Heidts two-week trial for the charges against him, the prosecutors argued that he killed his father and brother and shot his mother because he wanted the life Carey had with Robin. "As a mother, I could not sacrifice the son that was killed and my husband that was killed to protect another son if I really thought that that son did that," Linda told Spencer. Finally, in May 2009, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation made its move, arresting Craig Heidt for the murder of his brother. "Did he have an alibi for that night?" Powered by WordPress.com VIP. And I know that God's forgiven me," Robin replied. "So I had a few drinks there and ended up staying that night," she explained. The married pair then got into an argument, and he left to spend the night at his parents. In his opening statement, Bonds told the court, "What shocked me was just the clear lack of physical evidence linking him to the murders. In the request, Sharon reported numerous calls from her estranged husband from Aug. 15 through 17 in which Jerry allegedly threatened her, stating he will get even with me.. Evidence at the two-week trial showed Craig Heidt was having an affair with Carey Heidt's wife, Robin. "That's a pretty significant question," Spencer noted. "There was a lot of tension very heated conversations, several very heated conversations," Robin told Spencer. "When you sit down and dispassionately look at the evidence, it couldn't be anybody but him," said District Attorney Michael Muldrew. Enhanced Cost of Living Calculator Now includes childcare, taxes, health, housing for home owners vs renters, insurance costs and more when you upgrade to premium. So did everyone else in town. Later on, Robin called her lover to tell him what had happened, to which he only said that if his father and brother were not careful and minding their own business, hed go old school on them. "What is your view on Robin's role, if any, in this whole awful thing?" 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May 1, 2020. 1.448. Susan Spencer asked Robin Heidt. He was found guilty on all 11 counts, including malice and felony murder, although police have said they don't believe he was the one who pulled the trigger. "Around 5 o'clock in the morning, on Monday morning," she said. Spencer asked. Philip Heidt, 59, and his son, Carey Heidt, 32, were shot to death in their beds. A shotgun, boots and a gas can -- all missing, all possibly related to the crime and all tied to Craig Heidt. The case garnered massive media attention. "And he's drivin' his dead brother's truck. With more than 200 motions filed, there's still months worth of work before this case goes to trial. In December of the following year, she was taken into custody again after failing to hand over her childrens Social Security amount to Linda, their maternal grandmother, who had temporary custody. Days later, while the couple was in Craigs cabin, they heard a low-flying helicopter, which Carey confirmed to his wife was to get proof of the liaison. You can filter data by crime type and by date range be expanding the menus on the left hand side of the page. "He knew where that key would've been located. The judge sentenced Craig Heidt to the maximum: Two life terms plus 85 years, making parole almost impossible. So Howard asked Craig to take off his shirt. 'Were you holdin' a shotgun when your parents were killed,' I believe," he said. On Dec. 1, 2010, the murder trial of Craig Heidt begins in the Effingham County Courthouse. The case generated widespread media attention, with numerous rumours and speculations about the killer floating around the community at the time. 'And my family was telling me: "Do you know how this looks?" Philip's wife Linda Heidt was. Linda Heidt's injuries were such that it took six minutes for 911 operators to understand where help was needed. 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