Charles Schmid

Charles Howard Schmid, Jr. a.k.a. The Pied Piper of Tuscon is an American rapist and serial killer based in 1960s Arizona, with several different accomplices and a bad boy reputation that led to his arrest.

Background[]

Schmid was adopted by Charles Schmid, Sr., and Katharine Schmid; they ran the Hillcrest Nursing Home in Tuscon. Schmid didn't get along with Charles, Sr., who Katharine eventually divorced, and Schmid was rejected by his birth mother after tracking her down. Schmid, recognized for his looks, intellect, manners, and strong gymnastics abilities that led his school to the state championship, still had poor academic performance. Schmid quit the team in his senior year, was suspected for stealing from the school woodshop, and dropped out, refusing graduation. Schmid moved into a mobile home in his parent's home property, where he had a car, a motorbike, and $300 a month. His nickname came from his appeal to the local teenagers, forming a crew out of John Saunders, Richie Bruns, his roommate Paul Graff, and his girlfriend Mary French. He mostly drank and picked up girls at the Speedway Boulevard. Schmid changed his appearance, particularly to mimic his idol Elvis Presley, including by wearing cowboy boots stuffed with newspapers and flat cans to look taller, wearing makeup including lip balm, pancake makeup, and a fake mole on his cheek, and pulled out his lower lip with a clothespin. When he struggled to walk in his stuffed boots, he lied he was slightly disabled from a fight with the Mafia.

Murders, Trial, and Death[]

On May 31, 1964, he spontaneously shouted in front of his friends he wanted to kill a girl. Schmid decided on Alleen Rowe, a teen regularly sexually harassed by the men and boys in the city, including Schmid. Schmid used Mary as a lure to take Aileen out to the desert, where Schmid tied her arms behind her, made Saunders take off her bathing suit, and then Schmid raped her. He tried to make Saunders rape her as well, but Saunders didn't have the potency. Saunders also refused to kill Alleen, so Schmid personally bludgeoned her with a rock, then kissed Mary and said he loved her before the three of them buried her in the sand. Schmid and Mary still split up after that night.

Months later, Schmid met Gretchen Fritz, the daughter of a heart surgeon who was spoiled and expelled form her private school for attempting an armed robbery. Schmid went to her door posing as a pots and pans salesman to woo her, and after Gretchen vehemently demanded to buy all his kitchenware despite them obviously being used, he admitted he wanted to romance her, and they began dating. Although their relationship carried into the next year, Schmid wanted to dump Gretchen due to her refusing to let him be near other girls and constantly calling him. However, the problem was he showed her Alleen's remains to warn her about him, which didn't phase her, as she stole his diary that detailed Alleen's murder a the shooting of a teenage boy, threatening to report Schmid if he left her. On August 16, 1965, Schmid strangled Gretchen and her younger sister Wendy, then made Bruns bury them in the desert with him. When Schmid started harassing Bruns' girlfriend, he fled with her to Ohio, where her family lived. He them told his grandparents everything, then went to police and confessed to all he knew.

Much attention was given to Schmid's case, who was found guilty in 1966 and sentenced to death, which was then commuted to 50 years imprisonment; his adoptive parents moved to Coolidge, reduced to poverty from Schmid's legal fees. He escaped prison in 1972 with murderer Raymond Hudgens, and after a brief hostage situation at a ranch in Tempe, they were arrested again. Schmid got into poetry, which was reciprocated by Arizona U. professor Richard Shelton for creative critiques. On March 20, 1975, murderer Jimmy Ferra and armed robber Dennis Eversole shanked Schmid 47 times, resulting in the loss of his eye and kidney, and eventually his death ten days later. They pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, which increased their sentences. Schmid was given a Catholic funeral at the prison and buried at its cemetery, after his body was stolen and then recovered shortly thereafter.

Schmid's crimes have inspired multiple fiction works, most notably Joyce Carol Oates' short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? and the film The Todd Killings.

Accomplices[]

John Saunders
- Ordered by Schmid to cut off Alleen Rowe's bathing suit
- Failed to rape Alleen when Schmid ordered him to; refused to kill Alleen when Schmid ordered him to
Richard "Richie" Bruns
- Buried the Fritz sisters with Schmid
- Reported Schmid when Schmid started harassing Bruns' girlfriend
Mary French
- Schmid's ex-girlfriend
- Lured Alleen Rowe before she was murdered
Gretchen Fritz
- Was shown Alleen's remains as a threat against her
- Stole Schmid's diary and blackmailed him into their relationship with the threat to report him
- Was later killed by Schmid along with her little sister Wendy

Modus Operandi[]

Schmid targeted Caucasian teenage girls he knew, first for rape, then to silence their testimonies. Schmid abducted Alleen Rowe by using his girlfriend to lure her with a ruse, then raped her in the desert. When he failed to make John Saunders rape and murder Alleen, Schmid personally bludgeoned her with a rock and buried her at the scene. Schmid strangled Gretchen and Wendy Fritz to death in a spontaneous reaction, then made Richie Bruns bury then in the desert with him. It's reported he also shot a 16-year-old boy, but the murder has never been confirmed.

Known Victims[]

Alleen Rowe Fritz Sisters — Schmid's confirmed murder victims, from left to right: Alleen Rowe, Wendy Fritz, Gretchen Fritz

Tucson, Arizona:
- May 31, 1964: Alleen Rowe (raped and bludgeoned her with a rock)
- 1965:
  - August 16: The Fritz sisters (both strangled)
    - Gretchen Fritz, 17
    - Wendy Fritz, 13
  - Unknown dates: Richie Bruns' unidentified girlfriend (harassed)
November 1972, Tempe, Arizona: Four unidentified people (all briefly held hostage; were released)

On Criminal Minds[]

While never directly mentioned or referenced in the franchise, Schmid appears to be the inspiration for the following unsubs:

Season One
- Cory Bridges ("The Popular Kids") - Both are murderers who were sons (adoptive in Bridges' case) of people with positions of authority in their local communities, were in social circles who kept their awareness of a dead person in isolated nature a secret, targeted teenage girls they obsessed over, killing at least one victim each with a rock, and killed witnesses to their respective first murders to silence them.
Season Six
- Ryan Phillips ("3rd Life") - Both are murderers with groups of accomplices, raped and murdered a teenage girl as their first victims, left the girls in isolated locations, killed witnesses to their crimes to silence their testimonies, were sold out by their accomplices, and were murdered for their crimes.