Shivangi Sinha
In June 1999, a motorist in Whitefish, Montana, called the police after spotting a woman lying on the side of the road. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found Mary Ann Schmitz unconscious, and despite efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead shortly after. As investigators began piecing together the details of the incident, they quickly identified the person responsible for the crime. In the Netflix episode of ‘I Am a Killer’ titled ‘Time Bomb,’ the circumstances surrounding Mary Ann’s death and the motivations behind it are explored in depth.
Mary Ann Schmitz Was Found Strangled to Death on the Side of the Road
Mary Ann Lund was a vibrant and adventurous woman who embraced life to the fullest and was always eager to take chances and believe in the goodness around her. While she did allegedly struggle with alcohol dependency in the late 1990s, she was determined to improve her life and make positive changes. In November 1998, while visiting a bar in Kalispell, Montana, she crossed paths with Leroy Schmitz. There was an instant connection between them, and Mary Ann was drawn to Leroy’s openness to his feelings. Their brief affair quickly blossomed into a deep and passionate love, with both of them becoming completely enamored with each other.
Just after spending one night together, Mary Ann boldly told Leroy that she could see a future with him and wanted to explore it. By December 1998, after getting to know each other better, the couple moved in together, and things seemed to be falling into place for her. On April 4, 1999, they tied the knot, marking what appeared to be a fresh start. However, her happiness would be short-lived. On June 17, 1999, she was found lying by the side of a secluded road near her car, unresponsive. Before emergency services could arrive, the responding officers declared her dead. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Mary Ann Schmitz’s Killer Performed CPR on Her For Thirty Minutes
The police didn’t have to search far for Mary Ann Schmitz’s killer, as her husband, Leroy Schmitz, was found standing next to her when the authorities arrived at the scene. He was performing CPR on her, and although he claimed to have no recollection of what had happened, he admitted that once he regained his senses, he had tried to save her. Leroy was arrested at the scene and later provided an account of the events leading up to her death. According to Leroy, their marriage had begun on a positive note, but he claimed that Mary Ann’s increasing aggression, fueled by her alcohol dependency, was the cause of many of their conflicts.
Leroy explained that on the night of June 17, he had walked into a bar and discovered his wife, Mary Ann, cheating on him with another man. He claimed that he calmly asked her to get into his car, and they drove away. During the drive, she allegedly began talking about divorce, which made him angry. After arriving at a secluded road, Leroy said he had no memory of what happened next. He only recalled snapping back to his senses to find himself kneeling on her throat. He claimed that as soon as he realized what was happening, he quickly got off her and noticed a weak pulse. He then began performing CPR in an attempt to revive her, which he continued for about 30 minutes. Leroy insisted that he had not intentionally harmed her and that her death was an unfortunate accident.
The police quickly uncovered Leroy’s violent past. On October 5, 1986, they discovered his former girlfriend, Barbara Seed, had been strangled to death. Leroy had been arrested and convicted for the crime, and in September 1987, he was found guilty of manslaughter. He received a sentence of 18 to 20 years but was released on parole after serving just 10 years. In addition, police found that just 18 days before Mary Ann’s murder, she had filed a report against him for physical assault. Leroy had been arrested for the assault but was released on bail. Her autopsy report showed that he had kneeled on her neck for about three minutes, and the jury was convinced it was not by accident. Given his history of violence, particularly toward women, he was convicted for Mary Ann’s murder and sentenced to 100 years in prison.
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