Shraman Mitra
Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Perfect Murder: The Honeymoon Killers’ portray the murder of Marc Van Beers and how police were able to track down Aurore Martin and Peter Schmitt, who were responsible for the slaying. Marc was initially thought to have died in an accident. However, signs of foul play took the police on an investigation which unraveled a double murder and insurance scam. Let’s dig deep into the case and find out where Peter Schmitt is today, shall we?
Who Is Peter Schmitt?
Peter Schmitt first came into public attention when his wife, Ursula Deschamps, was found drowned inside a car that had plunged into a canal in 1992 in Corsica, France. Peter, who was also present in the car, claimed to have escaped in the nick of time. However, while investigating, the police met Ursula’s family, who claimed that Ursula had uncovered an insurance scam that Peter was involved in. They even told authorities that she wanted to expose her husband before filing for divorce, and thus, they were doubtful about her death being an accident.
In 1995, a few years later, Marc Van Beers was declared dead after his wife, Aurore Martin, claimed that their car had met with an accident and jumped off the edge of the cliff. Surprisingly, the facts of the case were eerily similar to Ursula’s death as the accident took place in Corsica, and Aurore claimed to have miraculously survived the crash. The police would not have given the death much thought if Aurore did not hurry to get her husband cremated and buried.
Moreover, when Marc’s body was recovered and medically examined, authorities discovered that he was beaten with a blunt object like a baseball bat before his death was staged as an accident. Immediately, suspicion fell on Aurore and looking into her life, the police learned that she met and got acquainted with Peter Schmitt in 1991. The two then embarked on a whirlwind affair but needed money to fulfill their luxurious desires.
According to the show, the police suspected that Aurore and Peter had hatched a plan to marry influential people, murder them, and get away with the money. Their suspicions were further strengthened when they realized that Aurore had made off with a significant amount of money after Marc’s death. Finally, the last piece of the puzzle was put in place when one of the couple’s mutual acquaintances called the police and tipped them off about the entire operation. The FBI then got involved, and they caught up to the couple in Miami. When arrested, authorities discovered a massive amount of cash in their possession as well as a bunch of luxurious assets they had bought over the years.
Where Is Peter Schmitt Now?
After his arrest in Miami, Peter and Aurore were extradited to Belgium, where they were made to stand trial. Peter was found guilty of his crimes and subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2001. However, the show mentioned that Peter just served six years and was released in 2007. Reports further state that he and Aurore wanted to get married, but it would have been difficult since Peter was deported to Germany and refused entry into Belgium till 2017. In Germany, Peter was employed as a carpenter. Still, it seems like they got together post-release, as per the show. However, due to his preference for privacy and no social media presence, the current whereabouts of Peter Schmitt are unknown.
Read More: Marc Van Beers Murder: Where Is Aurore Martin Now?
