IA - Tyler, Sarah, and Lula Schmidt Killed at Maquoketa Caves State Park Campsite, 2022 *killer dead*

[RickshawFan]

This article has more info than I have seen in some, including that it was a 9mm gun and that the 9 year old had initially been in the tent but managed to escape....

Investigators reveal information around the attack and weapons used in Maquoketa Cave Park triple homicide

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (KWWL)- Additional information surrounding the attack and weapons used to kill a Cedar Falls family at Maquoketa Cave State Park has been released by the Iowa DCI.

www.kwwl.com

And @RickshawFan , the article includes:

"This was not the only weapon the Sherwins were traveling with.

"There were other weapons with the Sherwin family," Mortvedt said. "Whether they were registered or who they were registered to, that I don't know. "

Arlo was in the tent when the attack happened. According to that article.

 

[RickshawFan]

CS said the guns were for a potential bear, and that a bear had been to their tent while they were there. But this article says they only got there the day before…. So much contradictory info about guns provided by CS.

Investigators reveal information around the attack and weapons used in Maquoketa Cave Park triple homicide

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (KWWL)- Additional information surrounding the attack and weapons used to kill a Cedar Falls family at Maquoketa Cave State Park has been released by the Iowa DCI.

www.kwwl.com

 

[RickshawFan]

This article has more info than I have seen in some, including that it was a 9mm gun and that the 9 year old had initially been in the tent but managed to escape....

Investigators reveal information around the attack and weapons used in Maquoketa Cave Park triple homicide

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (KWWL)- Additional information surrounding the attack and weapons used to kill a Cedar Falls family at Maquoketa Cave State Park has been released by the Iowa DCI.

www.kwwl.com

And @RickshawFan , the article includes:

"This was not the only weapon the Sherwins were traveling with.

"There were other weapons with the Sherwin family," Mortvedt said. "Whether they were registered or who they were registered to, that I don't know. "

I wonder if the Sherwins owned the knife, too?

 

[RickshawFan]

Thanks for clarifying. Sorry I brought misinformation into the thread. I need to keep up better.

Parents are beginning to sound even stranger - multiple weapons? For what purpose if not hunting?

Yes, an absolutely horrifying crime!

CS only mentioned the one gun under the seat. We heard from LE that that specific gun was used in the attack. Then CS started talking about multiple guns, obsession with guns, they wouldn’t allow AOS to own one, but they were impressed he built one….

 

[MntnHiker]

The bear thing puzzled me because I wasn't aware there were bears in Iowa, living in IL and not having bears here. I Googled and it looks like there is a very small population of black bears - like this article said this: "Since 2002, there have been 43 confirmed black bears in Iowa, and two to five per year since 2014."

That's statewide, so in all, that doesn't seem like the chance would be that large you'd run into a bear, so either they got unlucky and were one of the rare people that had a bear come to their tent or maybe it was another animal?

DNR: Black bear population likely to expand in Iowa

In the spring, bears emerge from their winter dens hungry. They’ll feed heavily on newly emerging tender grasses and sedges.

www.kwqc.com

 

[RickshawFan]

LE says in that statement that “the majority of components of the gun were items someone could buy online….”

What couldn’t be bought online? A silencer?

 

[SuziQ]

The bear being the excuse about bringing guns doesn't fly. They brought the guns before they got to the campsite. IMO.

 

[RickshawFan]

LE won't be specific about the weapon used to "stab" the victims, I would guess not a knife. I am speculating hatchet. A lot of people bring these camping to chop firewood. It was a weapon easily at hand. AOS could have grabbed the Sherwins and had it in hand or the Schmidts' lying around their site. Since I would imagine this would be an opportunity thing—I mean, you can't really manage a gun AND a hatchet—I would guess a sharp weapon lying around in the Schmidts' site.

What we also haven't considered is whether the murder took place in 2 or more phases, with AOS going back for the gun in the middle of the event.

 

[Hexe]

LE won't be specific about the weapon used to "stab" the victims, I would guess not a knife. I am speculating hatchet.

I do not think the injuries from the hatchet would be described as stab wounds. Chop wounds, if shallower slash wounds, yes, but not stab wounds. These are, by definition, deeper than they are wide on the surface.

 

[Marysmith]

This is such a disturbing crime. I’m just shook reading up on this.

 

[vls12345]

The bear being the excuse about bringing guns doesn't fly. They brought the guns before they got to the campsite. IMO.

Exactly.

Turns out their son was a much more dangerous encounter.

MOO.

 

[cujenn81]

Snipped for brevity.

Yeah, if this mom is referring to her son as "we", she most likely was overly enmeshed in his life. His problems may even have been tied to her enmeshment. She may even have intentionally sabotaged his independence & is now in deep shock & denial.

The mom I know that I mentioned in an earlier post is way too enmeshed in her 27 year-old son's life & he is so dependent on her now that he can't function in life outside of their home. At 14, she would not let him spread his own peanut butter on a sandwich because "only she could do it the way he likes". He's still that incapacitated yet she claims he's brilliant (because he's "so good" at gaming online). She *needs* him to be totally dependent on her I think. Didn't Adam Lanza's mom also? And if the 27 year old I know ever quit making overt homicidal threats along the way, we have no idea whether he just keeps that contained (so far) to his online community these days, whatever that might be. There are so many gullible parents who just believe whatever their kids say about their online activities.

Eta: It is possible, though, that AS suffered with depression or any number of "neurological" issues that just weren't adequately addressed by medical professionals for whatever reason. For many people prone to depression, the isolation of the last few years have been devastating, especially at AS's age where most are becoming independent self-supporting adults & having fun with others in the same approximate age group.

Nancy Lanza was almost the complete opposite of this. She really wished her son would branch out, get out of the house, meet other people, go to college, etc. She took him to the shooting range mostly just to get him out of the house and with the hope that he’d open up and talk to her.

She took him to a few different psychiatric doctors over the years, but AL never agreed with their diagnoses and treatment recommendations and he refused to take the medications they prescribed.

He locked himself in his room and only came out when Nancy wasn’t there, and he would only communicate with her via email. He hadn’t spoken to her for weeks (maybe months) when he killed himself and all those poor innocent children.

Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting

vault.fbi.gov

 

[Marysmith]

Nancy Lanza was almost the complete opposite of this. She really wished her son would branch out, get out of the house, meet other people, go to college, etc. She took him to the shooting range mostly just to get him out of the house and with the hope that he’d open up and talk to her.

She took him to a few different psychiatric doctors over the years, but AL never agreed with their diagnoses and treatment recommendations and he refused to take the medications they prescribed.

He locked himself in his room and only came out when Nancy wasn’t there, and he would only communicate with her via email. He hadn’t spoken to her for weeks (maybe months) when he killed himself and all those poor innocent children.

Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting

vault.fbi.gov

Omg… I didn’t know this. That poor woman.

 

[fred&edna]

I wonder if AOS was sleeping in same tent with his parents? While I somewhat understand why Sherwin's parents didn't immediately run over to investigate when they "heard something going on" at the Schmidts' campsite. But, once they realized their own son was missing (which had to have been fairly quick), I'm surprised they didn't investigate the sounds of the attack. One of them could have even grabbed a "secured weapon" for protection to at least take a look. I'm nearly positive I'd venture closer to the Schmidt's camp while also calling 911.

ETA:

"The Schmidt's nine year old son was in the tent at the beginning of it and was able to get out and get away," Mortvedt said. "And ran to other adults in the campground. Where they also heard something going on from that campsite."

The adults Arlo ran to were Sherwin's parents. They comforted Arlo and called the police. By the time officials arrived, the Schmidts along with Anthony were dead.

Investigators reveal information around the attack and weapons used in Maquoketa Cave Park triple homicide

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (KWWL)- Additional information surrounding the attack and weapons used to kill a Cedar Falls family at Maquoketa Cave State Park has been released by the Iowa DCI.

www.kwwl.com

 

[PacoElFlaco]

All of the below quotes are from same article- Investigators reveal information around the attack and weapons used in Maquoketa Cave Park triple homicide

“What weapon Sherwin used to create the stab wounds on the Schmidt's is one piece of information that's being withheld. Mortvedt confirmed it was the same weapon for all the stabbing wounds but he would not go into any more detail.”

What would be the reason they would withhold this information? Any ideas?

“Police say their investigation found no indication of a violent or criminal record. However out of respect to the family, the DCI says with Sherwin dead there's a limit to what details they will reveal. … The investigation is still ongoing, but the DCI says there will likely be little more revealed to the public.”

I wonder how much more AS’s mother will talk to reporters. Seems she’s already doing quite a bit of corresponding and sharing with the media. The same article also confirmed there will be no prosecution of anyone, or rather no criminal action taken in this case. I think it had been discussed earlier here whether or not AS’s parents held any liability for what happened. I do suppose there could be some civil action at some point but I have no clue if there’s a proper case for that here, just thinking out loud.

They're withholding info in respect for the family. That means that anything they won't disclose is probably extremely gruesome and disturbing. So the edged weapon was likely an axe or a machete.

 

[Marysmith]

They're withholding info in respect for the family. That means that anything they won't disclose is probably extremely gruesome and disturbing. So the edged weapon was likely an axe or a machete.

So, so awful.

 

[Hexe]

They're withholding info in respect for the family. That means that anything they won't disclose is probably extremely gruesome and disturbing. So the edged weapon was likely an axe or a machete.

An axe or a machete do not inflict stab wounds though, And that's how the injuries were described.

 

[realanastasia]

I wonder if AOS was sleeping in same tent with his parents?

Investigators reveal information around the attack and weapons used in Maquoketa Cave Park triple homicide

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (KWWL)- Additional information surrounding the attack and weapons used to kill a Cedar Falls family at Maquoketa Cave State Park has been released by the Iowa DCI.

www.kwwl.com

Initial reports linked upthread said AS was in a tent next to his parents' tent, unless that's been updated in subsequent news stories.

 

[realanastasia]

An axe or a machete do not inflict stab wounds though, And that's how the injuries were described.

I'm wondering if it was a tent stake.

 

[PacoElFlaco]

An axe or a machete do not inflict stab wounds though, And that's how the injuries were described.

"Stab wounds" is only how the news reporters are interpreting it . Official sources say: "multiple sharp force injuries". UPDATE: Autopsies Completed In Maquoketa Caves State Park Triple Homicide | Iowa Department of Public Safety