Let's talk about Gerard Schaefer, the serial killer who terrorized girls and women in Florida and beyond. Posted on Jun 26, 2022 I Learned The Truth Behind My Hometown's Legend "The Devil's Tree," And The True Crime Is Horrifying I grew up thinking it was a ghost story, not a true crime. [10], By his teenage years, Schaefer developed erotic fantasies of hurting women whom he deemed worthy of his contempt. [124]:8290, London ended her collaboration with Schaefer in 1991, shortly after publicly repudiating his claims that he was merely a "framed ex-cop" who wrote lurid fiction. [58], As Lucille and her husband, Ira, drove around the county, she realized investigators had likely incorrectly noted Schaefer's license plate number as being registered in Pinellas County as opposed to Martin County, given the fact most license plates she observed in Martin County began with "42" and not the "4" of Pinellas County, which investigators had previously informed her was the location of the plate she had provided. According to him, at the age of six, upon . [12], Schaefer also became a peeping tom in his mid-teens and is known to have developed the habit of cross dressing. The Devil's Tree [55], Upon passing sentence on December 22, Judge D. C. Smith lambasted Schaefer,[6] informing him: "It is beyond the court's imagination to conceive how you were such a foolish and astronomic jackass as you were in this case. He also claimed that fellow serial killer inmate Ted Bundy, whom he labeled a "tyro" by comparison to himself, both admired and envied him; he also accused Bundy of "playing at copycat" regarding his own crimes. Although Schaefer's father's occupation resulted in his being frequently absent from the household, he had a difficult relationship with his oldest son, who resented his frequent belittling of him and believed his father favored his sister over himself and his brother. The Devil's Tree - Plot Summary - IMDb [39] Both girls provided a detailed description of their assailant and his vehicle,[b] before formally identifying Schaefer as the individual responsible for their ordeal. [100], Nancy Trotter and Paula Wells also testified as to their abduction and narrow escape from Schaefer during the first week of the trial. [49] Briscolina had been extensively beaten about the head, with one blow to her skull proving fatal. Their testimony was followed by that of Lieutenant Patrick Duval of the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, who described the crime scene, the evidence retrieved, and the grave in which the victims had been buried. Paranormal Historian Mark Muncy Talks the Devil's Tree - Boca Magazine I Learned The Truth Behind My Hometown's Legend "The Devil's Tree," And Upon hearing that he had been publicly rebuked by London, Schaefer allegedly repeatedly threatened her life. A standard background check revealed he had no criminal record. "[36] Schaefer then proceeded to explain that he had decided to teach two girls "a lesson" on the risks of hitchhiking but "overdid the job". The Toronto International Film Festival takes place September 717, 2023. Devil Tree - Florida's First Serial Killer - Miami Haunts [24], Shortly before this dismissal, Schaefer had begun searching for a better-paying law enforcement position elsewhere. [9], As a child, Schaefer preferred outdoor pursuits. [118] He also sued true crime authors Sondra London, Colin Wilson, and Michael Newton and former FBI agent Robert Ressler for describing him as a serial killer in printed works. The tree stands as a reminder of the horrible crimes of this man. [17], In March 1969, Schaefer successfully applied for a student teaching internship at Plantation High School. The Devil's Tree. Stone also hearkened toward the positive identification of Jessup's purse by her mother, sister, and friend, who had each positively identified the item as belonging to Jessup, before inferring the defense witnesses who had also identified the item had lied to protect Schaefer, stating: "How many of them picked it up, looked at it? Aralia spinosa - North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox The Devil's Tree. After visiting a landmark tree rumored to be a gateway to hell, a group of friends hold a small house party where, without explanation, they realize they mentally can't bring themselves to leave. He will play. [11] These fantasies would increase in terms of frequency and intensity with time, gradually dominating many of his waking hours. [32] Both were informed they were to be raped and murdered. Basking Ridge's Devil's Tree Named Most Haunted Place In NJ Thrillist has named the infamous Devil's Tree as one of the scariest places in America and the scariest in New Jersey.. [28] The girls accepted his offer, and agreed to meet him at a bandstand on East Ocean Boulevard at 9:15a.m.[29] The following morning, Schaefer arrived at the bandstand at the prearranged time. He was stabbed to death by a fellow inmate while incarcerated at this facility in December 1995. The Devil's Tree-The Legend Of A Serial Killer - YouTube [80], By May 12, investigators had gathered enough physical and circumstantial evidence to link Schaefer to nine murders and unsolved disappearances dating between 1969 and 1973. First Look at Megan Foxs Twisted Disney Princess in Supernatural Crime Thriller Johnny & Clyde. Let's talk about Gerard Schaefer, the serial killer who terrorized girls and women in Florida and beyond. Schaefer later described his childhood as "troubled and turbulent", largely due to the frequent family relocations, his father's alcoholism, and his father's frequent verbal abuse of his wife and children. ", Section of Dr. Benjamin R. Ogburn's pretrial evaluation of Schaefer. Anyone have an experience at the Devil's Tree in Port St Lucie, FL? Medios y Media/Getty Images Korn vocalist Jonathan Davis will play a villain in the new horror movie The Devil's Tree. :( If you are all interested, I can upload that separately! *OPENING FILM* [87] Schaefer vehemently protested his innocence, claiming the accusations against him were "a mistake" and informing one reporter he remained confident he would be exonerated. He began his service as a deputy with the Martin County sheriff's department on June 23, 1972,[6] having forged a letter of recommendation from Wilton Manors endorsing his application. [20], Four months later, in March 1970, Schaefer successfully applied for another teaching internship. Testimony at Schaefer's trial revealed one .22 caliber pistol he is known to have possessed and which he referred to as his "Saturday-night Special" firearm was never located. Both girls stated they had managed to escape from their bindings by gingerly writhing against their restraints and loosening their gags with their teeth as they maintained their balance upon the exposed tree roots; each stated the process of freeing themselves had taken considerable time, and that they had been acutely aware that, had they slipped, they would have hanged. Producers are Joshua Petrino & Anthony Berenato Jr. Executive Producers are Felicia Michaels, Doug Tubach, Mark Riccadonna, Mike Saga, and Howard Smith, with special effects by Angie Elwell. The registration was traced to an entirely separate model of vehicle belonging to a St. Petersburg resident who did not resemble "Jerry Shepherd", and who had a firm alibi for the date of the girls' disappearance. [102], The strategy of the defense was to discredit previous witnesses' testimony regarding the identification of Schaefer, to contend one or both decedents had been alive after September 27, 1972, and to contend the gravesite had been dug on a date after Schaefer began serving his sentence in Martin County Jail on January 15, 1973. He finished his closing argument by referencing the Constitution; outlining the fact Schaefer had received a fair trial, with legal representation, and the burden of proof upon the prosecution to prove his guilt. I went to Port St. Lucie in search of this wicked oak but only found a few local people that had ever heard of it. Schwartz immediately called for Schaefer's acquittal, claiming the state had not proven their case against his client and that all evidence presented was circumstantial. Bloody Disgustings Most Anticipated New Albums for 2022! They consult a sleep clinic without success and as his nightmarish behaviour escalates, they desperately seek help from a shaman. Anyone have an experience at the Devil's Tree in Port St Lucie, FL? Following the conclusion of Stone's opening statement, Schwartz requested the permission of the court to reserve his opening statement until the state had rested its case. Due to a plea bargain his attorney strongly recommended he accept, Schaefer was able to plead guilty to just one charge of aggravated assault, for which he received a sentence of one year in jail with the possibility of parole after six months, to be followed by three years' probation. Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario in Nintendo games since the 1990s . He was also known to have insulted their parents. [57] Upon leaving court on December 22, Schaefer informed several reporters: "I made a stupid mistake. [51] This individualwhom several identified as Schaeferhad also claimed to be an "ex-Wilton Manors police officer. The Devils' Tree Video Source - PraveenMohan Devil's Tree, Florida - The Real Story Behind The Haunted Location Watch on Paranormal Activity And Evil Presence There are countless stories of hikers and park visitors hearing strange sounds and singing coming from the woods. Sections of both bodies had evidently been disinterred and scattered by wildlife. [42], On September 27, 1972, Schaefer abducted two teenage friends named Susan Carol Place (17) and Georgia Marie Jessup (16). [44], On the afternoon of their disappearance, Place's mother, Lucille, arrived home to find her daughter "straightening her room" as Jessup sat upon a chair in the bedroom; both introduced Lucille to a man in his twenties whom they referred to as "Jerry". Both were last seen alive in Biloxi, Mississippi. [105], Referencing the similarities between the abductions of Trotter and Wells to the murders of Place and Jessup, Shailer remarked the one "glaring dissimilarity" between the two incidents was that "thank God, Wells and Trotter escaped". Read all Director Joshua Petrino KORN's JONATHAN DAVIS To Play The Villain In New Horror Movie 'The He left both girls bound and standing upon their plinths, vowing that he would soon return and exclaiming to one of his captives, "I gotta go!" Korn's Jonathan Davis Takes on Villain Role in 'The Devil's Tree' [79] A Dade County medical examiner named Dr. Joseph Davis also detailed the restraining of the victims prior to their deaths, the dismemberment inflicted upon their bodies, and the numerous knife marks evident upon the victims' bones. The Devil's Tree - Horror Happenings Financial Deliverance Sunday | Pastor Tony Osborn | 20th Aug 2023 | pastor, August He became God!" Kendrick agreed to provide Schaefer with a copy of the section of his manuscript which contained the revised list of his proposed victims, including those which Kendrick's research had revealed he could not have committed. Because he decided whether he was going to let them live or die. [101][102], Among the state's evidence presented before the jury were the actual tree limbs the victims had been suspended from and which bore sections of wearing upon the tree bark, indicating both girls had remained suspended at the murder location for a period of time sufficient to create these deep markings before their deaths. I am excited to make these deep-dives a weekly event on here. [18] He began this position on September 23, primarily teaching geography, but was fired on November 7 for refusing to accept advice from his superiors and for continuously attempting to impose his own moral and/or political opinions upon his students,[19] which had led to the school receiving numerous complaints from parents of his pupils. Schwartz concluded his argument by contending the prosecution had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt Schaefer's guilt. Trotter and Wells each described Schaefer's vehicle as having a distinctive bumper hitch from which Schaefer had tied one end of a rope to before throwing the other over a tree branch, explaining he intended to use the vehicle to "haul [them] up" to a height from which he intended to hang them. In response, Schaefer filed a $500,000 lawsuit which was ultimately settled out of court with prejudice. There are so many fantastic genre films playing the festival circuit that it is always a challenge to sharpen the pool of submissions to only 10 films, but Im pretty happy with the shades of horror I have been able to feature in this years lineup, Kuplowsky tells Bloody Disgusting alongside the big announce. [3], Described by prosecutor Robert Stone as "the most sexually deviant person" he had ever encountered,[4] Schaefer was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment at his 1973 trial, to be served at Florida State Prison. [108], Following the closing arguments, the jury began their deliberations at 3:45p.m. When you have a pair of lively teenage bimbolinas bound hand and foot and ready for a session with the skinning knife, neither one of the little devils wants to be the one to go first, and they don't mind telling you quickly why their best friend should be the one to die. As a matter of fact, the only thing I really remember is that I always had to tuck my skirt under my legs because [Schaefer] would practically stand on his head to look up a girl's skirt. While incarcerated, he frequently encouraged speculation as to how many victims he had claimed,[n] while simultaneously denying he had ever committed murder and claiming the numerous writings discovered at his mother's residence were purely fictional. The victims are also the law enforcement who work these cases. In reference to his victims, a fellow panelist at the meeting in which Crowder spoke also stated: "The [homicide] victims are not the only victims; the victims are also the families. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. On this occasion, he was not wearing his uniform and driving his own vehicle, although he convinced Trotter and Wells he was still on duty, having been switched to plain clothed, undercover duties and thus driving an unmarked vehicle. [31] He then took one victim to a large cypress tree close to the Indian River, tying her legs to the trunk just below her knees before binding a noose around her neck, which he affixed to a branch in such a manner as to force her to stand upon the exposed roots to counter the pressure from the noose. Furthermore, teeth and sections of bone later identified as belonging to at least eight victims were also recovered from the property. The Devil Tree. Killer Cop Gerard Schaefer. - YouTube Although he claimed these writings were fictional, several investigators believe many of these writings incorporate his own murders and assaults. [82] The majority of these individuals hailed from Florida, although two victims each hailed from Iowa and West Virginia. The Devil Tree: the story of Florida's first serial killer When Boys (Bill Skarsgrd) family is murdered by the citys brutal leader, he escapes to the jungle where he is trained by a mysterious shaman for one purpose to avenge his family and kill the leader. Korn's Jonathan Davis to play the villain in new indie | Kerrang! It made us aware of things to key on when we have a crime like this [where] there is the potential for it being one perpetrator and multiple victims." "[52], Three months later, on January 11, 1973, hitchhikers Collete Marie Goodenough and Barbara Ann Wilcox (both 19) disappeared while hitchhiking from Sioux City, Iowa, to Florida. In Meshal Aljasers exhilaratingly madcap thriller, a young woman stranded in the Arabian desert races to be home before curfew under the threat of extreme punishment from her scary strict father. Serial Killer Cop Suspected", "Trial for Schaefer Scheduled for September 17", "Former Prosecutor's Son Recognizes His Dad in Old Courtroom Sketch", "Move Made for Declaring Murder Suspect Insane", "The Unravelling of an Expert on Serial Killers", "After Long Career Convicting Area's Most Notorious Killers, State Attorney Bruce Colton Retires", "Sister Says Schaefer Bought Purse Abroad", "Mother of Slain Girl Identifies Schaefer", "Schaefer Cries Frame Behind Bars at Avon Park", "Killer Who Preyed on Women is Slain in Prison", "Panel Recalls Serial Killer Gerard Schaefer Whose Victims Ended up on Hutchinson Island", "The Charley Project: Nancy Elaine Leichner", "The Devil Tree, Port Saint Lucie, Florida: The Killing Ground of Serial Killer Gerard Schaefer", "Remains Identified as Broward Teen Missing Nearly 50 Years May Be Victim of Serial Killer", "Palm Beach County Deputies Believe 15-year-old Victim in Cold Case Linked to Serial Killer", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gerard_John_Schaefer&oldid=1170567931, Multiple stab wounds to the face, head, neck, and body, This page was last edited on 15 August 2023, at 20:55. Holding aloft and pointing toward one of Schaefer's handwritten manuscripts introduced into evidence titled "How to Get Away with Murder", Stone stated: "I submit to you you will never find that Saturday-night Special, because it is in a canal with [the victims'] skulls. Gerard John Schaefer Jr. (March 26, 1946 December 3, 1995) was an American murderer and suspected serial killer, known as the Killer Cop, the Hangman, and the Butcher of Blind Creek, who was convicted of the 1972 murder and mutilation of two teenage girls in Port St. Lucie, Florida. [9][a] Although he dated in his high school years, several female classmates viewed him with disdain. [15], In December 1968, Schaefer married his fiance, Martha "Marti" Louise Fogg, a fellow FAU student two years his junior whom he had met at Broward, and with whom he had briefly toured in her patriotic singing troupe Sing-Out 66, which offered an alternative to the contemporary hippie movement. The definitive study of the case was written and published by an old friend of his . And while Finn Wolfhard and Billy Byrk inject endearing comedy into their nostalgic summer camp slasher, the more straight ahead comedy Dicks: The Musical also memorably dips into some very funny horror camp., AGGRO DR1FT Harmony Korine | USA He then proceeded to explain he had abandoned the two in the general swampland area of Hutchinson Island, not far from the Indian River. Trotter also recounted to the court a statement Schaefer had made to her after she had been bound to a cyprus tree: that he could dig a hole in which to bury her and Wells, and that nobody would ever find them. He had frequently returned to his crime scenes weeks or months after the actual murders in order to commit acts of necrophilia with buried and dismembered bodies, or to extract teeth from the skull. [83], On May 18, Schaefer was formally charged with first-degree murder for the killings of Place and Jessup; he was held without bond pending trial[6][j] and transferred to Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee to undergo thirty days of psychiatric examinations before being returned to St. Lucie County jail on June 20. The infamous Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, 7 of which are World Premieres, and highlight the weird and the wicked of film. Production on The Devil's Tree began in 2013, getting stuck in various levels of development hell before its eventual completion. [37], Crowder and Lieutenant Melvin Waldron immediately proceeded to Florida State Road A1A, whereclose by the highwaythey discovered a desperate, partially-gagged teenage girl with her hands pinioned behind her back swimming via a flutter kick in a subtropical river. Author Patrick Kendrick believes the most likely year Schaefer began killing is 1969, and that his true victim count stands at around eleven, although the commonly held belief is that he may have claimed up to twenty-eight victims. Shortly after this revelation, torment and slaughter begins at the hands of a supernatural killer with a warped, sadistic sense of humor . The cast also includesFred Hechinger(Fear Street 1994), as well asDPharaoh Woon-A-Tai(Reservation Dogs),Abby Quinn(Mad About You), andPardis Saremi(Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem). He is known to have made a long-distance phone call from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to his Florida residence shortly before Goodenough and Wilcox's disappearance, and may have encountered the two while returning to Florida. 1. Souviron withstood vigorous cross-examination from Schwartz as to the actual caliber of firearm which had inflicted the gunshot wound to Place's lower jaw, remaining adamant the bullet used to shoot Place was .22 caliber and not a .25 caliber cartridge. Davis was cast a character called The Pet, who finds endless comedy in killing people. He is suspected of up to twenty-six further murders. The Messed Up Truth About The West Memphis Three Murders Several of her fingernails had been torn from her body, indicating a ferocious physical struggle with her killer. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. August 30, 2022. List of serial killers in the United States, "Florida Susan Poole Murder Case: No Tips so Far After Police Identify Teenager's Remains Decades Later", "Former Martin County Deputy's Killing Spree in 1970s Still one of Most Gruesome Murders in St. Lucie", "He Wore the Uniform of a Cop, but His True Passion was Being a Serial Killer", "Protect and Serve: Gerard John Schaefer", "What Lies Beneath: The Secrets of France's Top Serial Killer Expert", "Nancy Trotter Tells of Schaefer Encounter", "Gerard Schaefer Jr.'s Horrifying 'Killer Fiction' Stories Could have Been Filed on Memoir Shelf", "Florida Jane Doe IDed After Nearly 48 Years May be Victim of Serial Killer Cop Gerard Schaefer", "Briscolina, Farmer: Death Cut Short Travel Dreams", "Identified Body Believed to Have Schaefer Link", "Dead Florida Teen Missing for 50 Years ID'd. Financial Deliverance Sunday | Pastor Tony Osborn | 20th Aug 2023 En route, he again briefly lectured the girls against accepting lifts from random strangers and the dangers of being "sold into white slavery" before stopping the vehicle close to a dilapidated shed deep inside a remote forest, where he handcuffed and gagged the girls. It is titled "Killer Tree Stands: The Devil Is in the Details" and can be found at. Once the bodies were . Stay safe out there, friends! The stories within Killer Fiction and Beyond Killer Fiction typically involve the savage, graphic torture, mutilation and murder of young women, usually penned from the perspective of the killer, who is often a rogue police officer. Hello spooky friends! Place initially informed her mother that she, Jessup and "Jerry" intended to travel from Fort Lauderdale "to the beach and play guitar". One gold locket, inscribed with the name "LEIGH", was determined to belong to a missing woman named Leigh Hainline Bonadies, who had been a neighbor of Schaefer's when both were teenagers and who had been missing since September 1969;[76] also recovered was a driver's license belonging to Barbara Ann Wilcox and a passport belonging to Collette Marie Goodenoughboth of whom had been reported missing in January 1973. A masked killer terrorizes the counsellors of a summer camp in this sardonic slasher-comedy. In Nikhil Nagesh Bhats relentless martial arts thriller, a passenger train bound for New Delhi becomes a bloody battleground of brutal close-quarters combat as a pair of commandos square off against a 40-strong army of invading bandits. The Devil's Tree in Port St. Lucie. Location of two victims of serial 0:00 / 30:22 ( (Following a Serial Killer)) The Devil's Tree Southern Afterlife 8.67K subscribers Join Subscribe 159 Share Save 2.4K views 3 years ago We journey into the woods with AK. Two teenage girls are said to have been buried there. Place had informed her mother that a "good guy" who resembled ". [93][l], In his opening statement to the jury on September 19, Stone outlined the prosecution's contention that the physical and circumstantial evidence to be presentedin addition to various forms of testimonywould clearly illustrate Schaefer's guilt in the murders of Place and Jessup,[96] and that the state expected the jurors to return "a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree as to both counts". The two had encountered Schaefer while all three attended an adult education center in Fort Lauderdale. Farmer had also been bludgeoned to death. [18] On September 1, 1970, Schaefer applied for a vacancy within the Wilton Manors police department. [79], When referencing the fact ballistic testing had revealed none of the firearms recovered from Schaefer's utility shed had been a match for the .22 gunshot cartridge recovered at the crime scene, Stone referenced the testimony of Schaefer's brother-in-law, who had stated Schaefer also owned a .22 pistol he termed his "Saturday-night Special", which had not been found. "[55], In March 1973, Lucille Place discovered a letter penned by "Jerry Shepherd" in her daughter's bedroom;[19] she drove to the return address upon the letter333 Martin Avenue in Stuart, Floridaonly to learn from the building manager that "Jerry Shepherd" had registered at the property under his real name, Gerard Schaefer, and that he was recently sent to jail for the abduction and attempted hanging of two girls. Sleep Jason Yu | South Korea [92] The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, and frequently conveyed a distant and aloof demeanor throughout the official proceedings; often staring coldly at prosecution witnesses as they testified, or turning to smile at members of the press when a witness testified for his counsel. These teeth were later determined to belong to a missing 22-year-old woman named Carmen Hallock. A pregnant wife who becomes worried about her husbands sleeping habits. [13], Schaefer initially enrolled as a social studies major at Broward Community College in September 1964 before switching his focus to teaching, in which he achieved average grades.
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