A Logan County judge says their is probable cause to believe that a Logan County man killed his wife. However, documents and testimony show he was merely granting his wife’s wishes.
Mark Alan Schemm
A preliminary hearing was heard on Friday in the Logan County courtroom for former jockey Mark Schemm, who will be bound over for trial court arraignment on Dec. 20. The defendant agreed not to a speedy trial.
Schemm, 52, confessed to an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent he had killed his wife, Monica Schemm, by tying her down and suffocating her by putting a plastic bag over her head as she took a nap on June 12.
Several family members attended the hearing as Schemm would take a look at them from time to time, but remained motionless as he listened closely to the testimony from his son and two agents.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Schemm admitted his wife had been begging him to kill her for a long time after she had gone through chemotherapy and was later severely handicapped from a fall where she suffered a severe brain injury and required 24-hour care.
Schemm first told investigators he heard his wife scream from the bedroom and went to investigate when he saw two Hispanic males, one armed with a gun, tie his wife down and kill her. 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.
Related story: Crescent man facing first degree murder charge for death of his wife
Schemm’s son, who walked into the home to find the scene, was on the stand for nearly 50 minutes. He talked about how he and his dad took care of his mother and that his dad was a good father and husband. He told the court his mom would say that she wanted to visit the angels and Jesus and that she tried to kill herself by holding her breath. However, the state made an argument she had opportunities to take her own life and questioned if her dementia was playing a role in her words.
The next court hearing is set for Dec. 20 at 9 a.m.
I could not be on that trial…I’ve seen too many family members go through chemo and know first hand how their lives were changed from healthy, vibrant people to just waiting for the angels to come. It is a hard toll on the caretakers and on the one that is ill. I likely would not find him guilty. My condolences to the family Monica Schemm.