PROFILERS
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PSYCHOTIC HEDONISTIC PERSON?
RESPONSE
Date: 11/2/65- Schmid had been arrested for conspiracy to commit murder while his friends Mary and John had already been sentenced, Saunders for life and Mary for five years.
Date: 11/26/65- Multiple media outlets including the Times and Tucson Daily published stories and theories about Schmid after he agreed to a private media conference with them, and at this was also when Joyce Carol Oates published the story, “Where are You Going Where have you Been.’’
Date: 3/11/66- Schmid was convicted of first degree murder of the Fritz girls and was sentenced to the death penalty.
Date: 6/23/67- Schmid pleads guilty to the murder of Aleen Rowe and formally changes his name to Paul David Ashley
Date : 3/25/67- Schmid was attacked viciously by other prisoners and later died due to his injuries.
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FRIENDS
Description: Schmid’s friendships were extremely strange especially with women as certain people would become part of what he referred to as “his click” which had been informed of all that he was doing. Why his closest friends hadn't put an end to this vicious killer while they could still remains a mystery, but it wasn’t until a retired marine, Richie Burns had testified to his pal’s wrongdoing. But, this is yet another testament to how manipulative “Smitty’’ was around his friends and just about anyone as teenage girls had described him. “ At one point he had at least half of the girl’s in our school’s phone numbers,” noted a junior at Tucson's Palo Valley high school. She later made known to the media that, “A Lot of people knew, but it was already too late. Telling would have made it tough on everyone.” Evidently, this turned out to be the mentality of most of the people who considered Schmid a friend. In fact, that is how he gets his name the “Pied Piper” for his tremendous influence on teenagers.
1- John Saunders- He had been with Schmid on multiple occasionally including when he got assaulted creating their bond, and he had also accompanied Schmid on his impulsive robberies in California. Saunders later told police that Smitty had constantly told him how he wanted to run down Tucson's main street masturbating.
2- Mary French- She was one of Schmid's 16 year old girlfriends who he had convinced into luring Allen Rowe out of her home as well as stealing from his foster parents. Schmid was later deemed mentally unstable and sentenced to life in prison.
3- Diane Lynch- Ironically, Schmidt had meet the 15 year old Lynch and decided to marry her over French his longtime girlfriend. Its alleged that she had no clue as to what Schmid was doing.
4- Paul Ginn - He was an old childhood friend of Schmid’s who take great joy in shooting animals in the woods outsider their homes for pleasure. He had later lost touch with Smitty after he had found out what was going on
5- Richie Bruns- Bruns possessed a skill that Schmid needed and that was his military knowledge as he was an ex marine and ultimately lead to Schmid’s capture.Before, however, he had been a bystander to the Fritz sisters murders and had known of Smitty’s unstableness for quite awhile.
REFLECTIONS UPON MURDERS
Date: 5/31/64
It was time; I had to get Rowe out of the way! Who does she think she is saying she doesn’t want me, as if she has the right to say that. She’s just like my “mothers” trying make me into nothing, well it definitely didn't happen this time. I told John and Mary what was going to happen and they came with me. I knew her mother would be away, so it was my chance to show her a true man. I put on my boots and leather jacket and it was time. How could she say no to the dominant person I was today? So, I went there and she was afraid which drove me wild but she came to me just like the rest, and I took her to the desert just me and her. Suprisingly enough, Mary was able to drag her out but she left before the action began. After our play time was over, she had no use to me, and I did her in, so much for John and Mary they better not give me up!
Date: 2/6/65
I haven't done this in awhile probably because she stole my diary, but here it is. Gretchen Fritz was my lover for quite some time know, she came from a very wealthy father but was always willing to push boundaries: I loved that rebel side of her. But, recently it’s been too much I can’t stand her always trying to dominate my life, and besides now Mary is pregnant with my child. Amazing how these damn women know how to take control. I don't know how to handle this one there’s going to have to be away whoever gets heart, it's going to have to be. Right now, I’m a couple in with Richie who just got back from the service, I’m going to treat him to something special later on. Here’s an idea, I know Gretchen and her bum sister are going to that concert later tonight that daddy played for that’s where she’ll get hers or should I say it.
Date: 10/24/65
Richie Bruns spoke he gave me up; the police got the bodies of the Fritz girls. If I’m going to go down, people are going to ow my legacy: people will know what happened and see how worthless some lives our especially some women. Bruns might have given me up, but he didn’t put me down. Mary might be going down for a few years while Saunders for life. I’ve got hooks in that prison, the judge tried to keep me away from the public eye but I’ll be out again I can promise that. As a matter of fact, everyone will found out who I am and what I did! I’m now hearing that they’re offering me a psychological test, so I can be institutionalized instead which I’ve already decided to deny. Well, this is all from me for now, but I’ll return. This diary must be burnt for the time being.
EARLY ENTRIES
As his mind progresses..
Date: 11/5/61 Entry:1
I don’t know what to say or write here, but I know I must. After all of theses years, I realize I’m adopted and why should I give my birth mother any remorse or sympathy or even kindness:she’s nothing to me! Why should I give someone who has traded me the time of day. My foster parents says it’s a shame the way I had treated her my first time meeting her, but it was well deserved and she deserves much more than that. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed it’s all women they all care for themselves, useless to me just like my foster and birth mother. I have an urge, I’ve been telling Paul, “We should run down the main street of Tucson naked screaming out obscenities at the world.” They all deserve it, what is the purpose of life especially the lives of some few.
Date: 3/2/62 Entry:2
My ring is doing well, I’ve got about 100 of them now: all under my control. I've even taught them what I call my "one hundred ways to love." But, they think that me dying their hair blonde and making them ready is affection and it is far from. I let them believe that, but it is always fun to just crush them in the end and let them go, they’re worthless anyways. My magazines are the only real comfort I truly enjoy. That was until the police caught up to me for that robbery in California, and that thing I told the bartender about raping a few people. I did meet a girl named, Mary French though, she’s a little different. She has something about her it just makes her different, but for now she can stay at my foster’s parents nursing home and rob some more from them.
SCHMID'S ENTRIES
Description:
Although never recovered, Schmid had been known to carry a journal where he’d occasionally write and detail certain aspects of his life while he was alone and in solace. Many people believe that he had began his journal habits shortly after departing from military school in San Diego due to his loneliness and lack of compassion from others. While some details of his writing were made known by his friends, the rest are based upon my interpretation of his condition throughout his life which is essential to understanding his person.
Charles Schmid
Quote Title
"My obscentities must be told to the world."
GRETCHEN AND WENDY FIRTZ
"When History Haunts the Mind"
Date: 08/16/65
Description: Gretchen Fritz was the rebellious daughter of a wealthy heart surgeon who had began a relationship with Schmid a few months prior. Evidently, the relationship had come to a tragic end as her and her sister had gone missing after an Elvis Presley concert that they had attended together. A few weeks later, their bodies had been found rotting in the desert. Police had no initial leads following their disappearances.
Analysis- Gretchen always possessed a rebellious nature by pushing her boundaries and getting into trouble with the law which is what Schmid had most likely been attracted to. Unlike Allen Rowee, Gretchen was different in Smitty’s eyes as she had paralleled his rebellious nature and was someone he could relate to at least for a short while. As I have noticed with Schmid’s mind, he fears losing control and becoming second and with Fritz he was becoming just that. Also, at the time, his other girlfriend, Mary French claimed to have pregnant with his child. Thus, Smitty had resulted to his easy solution: murder.
In regards to Schmid killing Gretchen’s sister, it was a true testament to his impaired perception of women as they were simply only entities in his mind that must be conquered rather than human beings.
ALLEEN ROWE
Overview:On the 31st, of May 1964, Charles Schmid had murdered Alleen Rowe, a studious high school sophomore who had shed no interest in him at all. According to police reports, Schmidt with the assitanse of his girl friend Mary French had lured Rowe outside her home only to take her to a rural dessert where they eventually had abused and raped her. When police discovered the body years later , wounds had showed the Rowe had been slashed over the head with what appeared to be a rock that was later found near the scene. It wasn’t until Schmid had plead guilty that any leads had come up as to the whereabouts of Rowe’s body.
Analysis- From Schmidt's first murder, we notice that it seemed to have been an overkill due to the adrenalin and thrill he sought from his first. While the reasoning behind certain aspects of this murder are unknown to me, the murder and Smitty’s underlying thoughts are. Overall, the murder can be seen as a continuation to the narrative of Schmid’s relationship with his birth mother. As he had found his birth mother, there was great hostility and as his friends had said he always sought to find girls that were like her:those who shed no interest in him like Allen Rowe. The thought of her resentment of him had drove him wild, and he sought to assert himself dominant which would explain his aggression. During the time, his relationship with Mary French was very hostile as they were known to have beaten each other.This does in fact reveal a great deal about his personality as he is afraid to face his problems and would rather seek dominance over those who can't fight back. Ironically, however, it was later made known that French was the one who had persuaded Rowe out of her home.
MURDERS FROM A GLANCE
What’s extremely intriguing about Schmid is his relationship with people and especially women for that matter. Sometimes he’d take a great liking and demonstrate extreme loyalty to females especially Mary French who despite their troubles hadn’t fallen victim to Schmid. However, three young women, Alleen Rowe, Gretchen Fritz, and her sister unfortunately did. Although, we may never know the mechanisms that motivated Schmid, these women fell right into his fantasy as they all had blonde hair and blue eyes which is a characteristic in women that Schmid insisted and created in women if it wasn't present. Yet, this is only the beginning of the story and the rest is to follow.
INTRODUCTION
Overview of Schmid's Life
Charles Schmid 11 was born on July 8th, 1942 to an unwed mother who was unable to care for him and was eventually adopted by the wed couple of Charles and Katherine Schmid. In his early life, it was alleged that he had troubles with his father as he had claimed to have beaten by him on multiple occasions. From there, Schmid became a rather troubled kid who was always up to mischief as his friends had noted, and had spent a few years in institution looking to correct his behavior. Yet, Charles always had a fascination with killing from a very young age as he had taken to shooting animals and dismantling their body parts. At some points in his life, Schmid had also played the role of victim in being attacked by gang members throughout the different places he was institutionalized in. With a consolidation of his tramas and personal mental state, he had begun praying upon young girls typically 13- 17 in around the dessert of Arizona. His victims include Allen Rowe, Gretchen Frenz, and her sister Mary along with many alleged murders being attributed to his name. Most significantly, Charles Schmid’s life serves to illustrate the relevance of behavioral and psychological analysis as he had demonstrated the effect of personal traumas and mental illness on the forming of one’s psyche.
"THE PIED PIPER OF TUCSON"
A glimpse into the life and mind of one of the most disturbed and puzzling serial killers in Arizona's history: Charles Howard Schmid