The sudden murder of a prominent scientist at his remote farmhouse has led authorities to a complex murder investigation. Robert Schwartz’s untimely death was ultimately the result of a cunning plot to have him killed. Survey Discovery’The Perfect Murder: The Devil Made Me Do It’ focuses on how the police zeroed in on four people who had a role to play, which also shockingly included Robert’s daughter. So if you’re wondering what happened, we’ve got you covered.
How Did Robert Schwartz Die?
Robert was born on May 13, 1944. At the time of the incident, he was living on a farm far from the city of Leesburg, Virginia. Robert was well known in the scientific community, spearheading research in the fields of biometrics and DNA. Additionally, the 57-year-old was the founding member of the Virginia Biotechnology Association.
But tragedy struck the Schwartz family in December 2001. On the morning of December 10, a neighbor came by Robert’s house to check on him because he had not shown up for work. Inside, he found the scientist brutally murdered. Robert was stabbed and slashed over thirty times and had an “X” carved into his back. The nature of the crime shocked many, and the murder weapon was thought to be a 27-inch sword. Soon, the police started chasing every possible lead.
Who Killed Robert Schwartz?
Authorities believe Robert was killed about two days before he was found. They first looked into his family and soon learned of his youngest daughter, Clara. About a day after Robert was located, Clara’s friend Katherine Inglis claimed that Clara was involved in her father’s murder. What authorities discovered next was a shocking story of manipulation and fantasy.
At the time, Clara was friends with Katherine and Katherine’s boyfriend, Michael Pfohl. She had also met a teenager named Kyle Hulbert at a Renaissance fair in Maryland in September 2001. At that time, Clara had spoken a lot about how Robert was an abusive father who wanted to kill her trying to kill her. poison his food. While a student at a University of Virginia, Clara created a role-playing game called Underworld, with her and Kyle bonding over their mutual interest in witchcraft and the occult.
Kyle, then 18, had a history of mental illness and had spent time in mental institutions as a child. When Clara told him about her father’s alleged abusive behavior, he believed he had to protect her. Authorities discovered instant messages between Clara and Kyle on her computer that discussed Robert’s murder. In one of the messages, she said that if Kyle had committed the murder, she didn’t want it attributed to her.
Additionally, Clara had also told Kyle that she was going on a trip to the Virgin Islands for Christmas with her dad. She alleged that Robert “planned to make sure she didn’t come back”. Kyle later said he had to do something once Clara told him about it. Investigators later learned that Michael, then 21, and Katherine, then 19, drove Kyle to Robert’s house on December 8, 2001. They waited for Kyle to come in and kill Robert and leave with him after that. In February 2002, Kyle, Michael and Katherine were all in custody.
Where is Kyle Hulbert now?
Kyle provided a full confession to authorities once he was arrested, saying he committed the murder because he believed Robert was abusing Clara. The prosecution found that Clara manipulated Kyle into doing what she wanted. They also asked witnesses to say how she talked about the money she could earn after Robert died.
Kyle was eventually found guilty for his part in the crime. In September 2003, he was sentenced to life behind bars. Records indicate he remains incarcerated at River North Correctional Center in Independence, Virginia. Michael pleaded guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Katherine was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to a year in prison.
Read more: Where is Clara Schwartz now?
