Jonathan Dunbar Schmidt entered a guilty plea on Oct. 21 in Sylvania for a fatal April attack. The admission in court resolves the Lucas County case involving the killing of his former mother-in-law.
Schmidt, 35, admitted to the murder of 68-year-old Marcia VanDruten. Judge Michael Goulding will sentence him on Nov. 23.
Schmidt broke into the home of VanDruten on April 15, according to Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates. Bates said he beat her to death inside.
Officers arrested him the following day. A Lucas County grand jury indicted Schmidt on April 23 on seven total counts.
The indictment listed two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and one aggravated burglary charge. He had pleaded not guilty in court on April 20. Judge Michael Bonfiglio set his bond at $2 million during an earlier hearing in Sylvania Municipal Court.
An autopsy by the Lucas County Coroner’s Office ruled the death a homicide. Authorities reported the cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma. Family friends told 13 Action News that VanDruten was killed with a crowbar.
Detectives obtained store video from the Lowe’s store in Sylvania. The recording showed Schmidt purchasing three items. Investigators said they found those same items at the crime scene.
Detectives tracked his movements on the day of the killing using Flock camera footage. Investigators also discovered a written murder plan on his mobile phone. The text inside the notes application was last updated on March 28.
Sylvania Police Chief Danilynn Miller stated officers responded to the Eagle Trace subdivision just after 9 p.m. on April 15. The original emergency call reported an intoxicated driver.
Officers located the vehicle. They gathered information from the caller. Those details led officers to a residence in the 5700 block of Fox Hollow Court.
Officers entered the home and found VanDruten dead inside. Neighbors said VanDruten lived in the house with her husband. Neighbors described her as a sweet woman who enjoyed tending to her garden.
Investigators spoke with the parents of Schmidt at their residence. Schmidt phoned his father during that police interview. Bates said Schmidt admitted on the call to severely beating VanDruten. Officers recorded the conversation on body camera footage, Bates said.
Authorities located Schmidt in LaSalle, Michigan. Officers booked him into the Monroe County Jail. Police described the incident as an isolated, targeted event. They said he posed no danger to the wider public.
A GoFundMe campaign was organized for the family of VanDruten. The fund supports her daughter and grandson.
Sylvania Police records show family members reported issues involving the 35-year-old man on Dec. 28 during his divorce. A relative told officers that Schmidt had made threats. The relative could not provide specifics about the claims.
The family member called a friend of Schmidt. A police report states the friend reported remarks about Schmidt killing his parents. The specific comments were not disclosed in the report.
Officers interviewed everyone involved that night in December. Police said there were no mentions of homicidal or suicidal intent. Police filed no charges in that December incident.
A grand jury review determines if sufficient evidence exists to formally charge a defendant with felony crimes. Murder cases in the county system proceed to a sentencing hearing once a plea agreement is entered. The presiding judge sets the final penalties at that hearing.
The guilty plea brings the case in Sylvania near its conclusion before the November sentencing date.
