Jury finds Crescent man guilty of murder in 22 minutes

Logan County jurors needed 22 minutes to find a Crescent man guilty of killing his wife nearly one year ago in what has been described as a mercy killing.

Mark Alan Schemm, 53, remained motionless after hearing the guilty verdict read out loud on Monday afternoon inside the Logan County Courthouse. His family, however, could not hold back their emotions. Also, a female juror showed emotion as the verdict was announced.

Schemm was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with possible parole. The sentencing trial is set for June 20.

Schemm’s wife, Moncia Schemm, was found by her son when he walked into the family’s home and found her with a bag placed over her head and both her arms and legs bound on June 12, 2013. An autopsy showed Monica Schemm died of asphyxiation. 

Monica Schemm went through chemotherapy for a brain tumor in 1991 and later was left severely handicapped from a fall in 2006. The fall left her with a  severe brain injury and required 24-hour care.

Testimony revealed Monica Schemm begged her husband to kill her so she could “go to heaven and see the angles.”

Schemm first told investigators he heard his wife scream from the bedroom and went to investigate. He said he saw two Hispanic males, one armed with a gun, tie his wife down and kill her. Schemm claimed the two males secured his feet and hands to a wooden chair and attempted to kill him, but he was able to escape the attempt after they had left the home.

However, Schemm later admitted to staging the murder-robbery scene and directed investigators to a tractor where he had hidden his wife’s jewelry after taking them from her jewelry box. Along with the jewelry, Schemm directed investigators to the gloves and duct tape which he had placed in the tall grass just west of the home.

Jurors, eight white males and four white females, heard from investigators from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office and agents with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigators.

Both of the Schemm’s children testified and stated they did not want their father to go to prison. Schemm’s son testified that he did not believe what his dad did was right. Meanwhile, Schemm’s daughter said she believes her father killed her mom out of mercy and compassion.