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cover of episode Underworld (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)
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播音员
主持著名true crime播客《Crime Junkie》的播音员和创始人。
Topics
播音员：2001年12月，弗吉尼亚州劳登县发生一起凶杀案，受害者是生物物理学家罗伯特·施瓦茨博士。警方发现死者颈后刻有X形标记，现场血迹斑斑，初步判断为凶杀案。案发前两天，邻居萨姆·威尔士发现罗伯特博士失踪，并报警。调查员格雷格·洛克到达现场后，发现罗伯特博士被刺死，颈后刻有X形标记。凶器刀刃极长，刺穿了受害者的身体并刺入地板。调查中，邻居提供线索，案发前夜有青少年车辆在附近死胡同抛锚。调查员洛克找到拖车司机，司机最初谎称青少年未付拖车费，后承认自己谎报并提供了青少年的信息。警方逮捕了青少年司机迈克尔·福尔，并在其家中搜查到凶器和其他证据。迈克尔·福尔和女友交代了事件经过，最终揭露了案件的真相：罗伯特·施瓦茨博士的女儿克拉拉·施瓦茨因母亲去世后一直处于抑郁状态，并认为其父意图谋害自己，最终伙同凯尔·赫尔伯特谋杀了父亲。凯尔·赫尔伯特患有精神疾病，受克拉拉·施瓦茨指使，最终被判处终身监禁。克拉拉·施瓦茨被判处48年监禁。案件最终通过DNA比对技术得以侦破。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why did the police officers initially suspect devil-worshiping occultists in the murder case?

The officers found a strange symbol carved into the back of the victim's neck, leading them to speculate about occult involvement.

What was the significance of the symbol carved into the victim's neck?

The symbol was an X, which was the signature of an assassin in the fantasy game 'Underworld,' created by the victim's daughter, Clara.

How did Clara Schwartz's mental state influence the events leading to her father's murder?

Clara, deeply depressed after her mother's death, became paranoid and convinced her father was trying to kill her, leading her to orchestrate his murder.

What role did the fantasy game 'Underworld' play in the murder?

The game, created by Clara, became a platform for her dark fantasies, with her and her friends role-playing characters who ultimately carried out her father's murder.

How did the DNA research of Dr. Robert Schwartz contribute to solving his murder?

The DNA research helped investigators confirm that the blood on the murder weapon, a sword, belonged to Dr. Schwartz, linking the weapon directly to the crime.

What was the motive behind Clara Schwartz's orchestration of her father's murder?

Clara believed she would inherit a significant sum of money upon her father's death, which fueled her desire to have him killed.

How did the police initially identify potential suspects in the case?

They traced a car stuck in the mud near the victim's house, leading them to a group of teenagers, including Michael Fole and his girlfriend, who became key suspects.

What unusual detail about the murder weapon helped the police in their investigation?

The murder weapon was a sword with a blade over two feet long, which left distinctive marks in the wood floor where the victim was stabbed.

Chapters
The discovery of Dr. Robert Schwartz's body and the strange markings on his neck lead investigators to suspect a ritualistic murder by devil-worshipping occultists.
  • Dr. Schwartz was found dead in his kitchen with multiple stab wounds.
  • A strange symbol was carved into the back of his neck.
  • Investigators initially suspect devil-worshipping occultists.

Shownotes Transcript

On a Monday afternoon in December 2001, a pair of police officers walked in the side door of a big old farmhouse in the woods in Loudoun County, Virginia. They had just received a frantic 9-1-1 call from a man who said he had found his neighbor horrifically injured on the kitchen floor. The police officers crept through the house, peering cautiously around corners in case the attacker was still in the house. But other than the sound of their footsteps creaking on the hardwood, the home was completely silent. When they made it to the kitchen, they stopped. There, lying on his stomach, was the body of an older man, covered in blood. One of the officers stepped forward and knelt down to check the man’s pulse, but it was obvious to both of them that he was dead. The officer was about to stand back up, when something strange on the back of the man’s neck caught his eye. Slowly, the officer reached out a hand, and pulled down the collar of the man’s shirt. When he saw what was there, he looked back at his partner with an expression of fear. Because what he had discovered would lead investigators to wonder if there were devil-worshiping occultists prowling their rural community. 

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