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

[RickshawFan]

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

I think we need to go back over the LE statements to see if they described them as stab wounds or if it was some secondary source that made an assumption.

 

[RickshawFan]

"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

I interpret "sharp force injuries" to be NOT stabs and may refer to any implement with a sharp edge, not necessarily a knife.

 

[rsd1200]

I find this astonishing. I can't imagine someone doing something so heinous to strangers within shouting distance of mom. Maybe this was the point. Maybe there was something like "revenge of mom" or "dad said I wouldn't never do such a thing, so I did. It was a dare".

There must have been something about this family that got the shooter's attention. All very strange. In the 100's of nights spent in public campgrounds, I've never seen any kind of violence. I've occasionally seen rowdy behavior, but most people are respectful of the curfew, and you want to try to pick a campsite away from folks who look like they might sling beer into the night.

I've tent camped at events or just camped in a lakeside campground. Never had a single issue. Definitely strange. I'm curious to see what the shooter's autopsy results will turn up.

 

[RickshawFan]

I've tent camped at events or just camped in a lakeside campground. Never had a single issue. Definitely strange. I'm curious to see what the shooter's autopsy results will turn up.

Yeah, I've camped hundreds of nights by myself in public campgrounds. Only twice ever had an issue. One was a youngster who got into my stuff while I was out for the day; LE evicted the entire family for lack of supervision. The other was someone who came through the bushes in the dark. He needed help because he'd never set up a tent before! And it was pouring with rain. And he had no flashlight (he'd never seen a headlamp, either, lol). His instructions had dissolved in the rain, lol. First thing I told him: "NEVER come through the bushes. Always approach someone else's site from the road." Then I set up his 8-person tent.
I've only ever had those 2.
But wasn't there a host at the Maquoketa campground? There are people usually up at the crack of dawn, too. Big RV owners tend to want to get on the road super early, and sometimes seniors (a significant proportion of campers) don't sleep well, so they're up 'n' at 'em.
I hope LE got more info from other campers, even if we aren't privy to it.

 

[RickshawFan]

I wonder why the Sherwins picked Maquoketa, when there are plenty of other public campgrounds between Omaha and Illinois. I wonder if AOS picked it? And why?

 

[kccorona]

I wonder why the Sherwins picked Maquoketa, when there are plenty of other public campgrounds between Omaha and Illinois. I wonder if AOS picked it? And why?

I wonder too. I thought I had read or maybe assumed from a quote in an early article that this wasn’t their only stop on the trip, but can’t find a source for that now. If that were the case, the “gun for bears” comment would make *a little* more sense, like if one of their stops on the trip was a more bear-populated area. All my speculation of course.

ETA- I found the source and it was a Des Moines Register article posted relatively early on in the investigation, about a week ago, mainly focused on the news that AS used a ghost gun. Parts of the article were quoted earlier on and his mother stated “He was working on math problems all summer prior to our vacation to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan…” I suppose she could be referring to another trip but the context made it sound (to me) as if it was all part of the same.

 

[RickshawFan]

I wonder too. I thought I had read or maybe assumed from a quote in an early article that this wasn’t their only stop on the trip, but can’t find a source for that now. If that were the case, the “gun for bears” comment would make *a little* more sense, like if one of their stops on the trip was a more bear-populated area. All my speculation of course.

Does IA even have bears in campgrounds?

 

[kccorona]

Does IA even have bears in campgrounds?

Very rarely- I believe someone posted a link about it a page back.

 

[RickshawFan]

Eyeroll: bewtween 2 and 5 sightings of bears per YEAR in Iowa.

Dubuque residents encouraged to secure garbage, remove pet food and bird feeders to avoid encountering wandering black bear

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is working with the City of Dubuque, the Dubuque County Conservation Board and the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department to monitor the movements of the black bear that has been seen in northeast Dubuque

www.iowadnr.gov

 

[WingsOverTX]

Does IA even have bears in campgrounds?

That's what I'm wondering. Seriously doubt they are bothering campsites in this park. Probably as rare as mass murderers in Iowa campgrounds. CS believes any deflection will work! MOO

Black bear spotting in Decorah's Trout Run Park

DECORAH, Iowa (KWWL) - According to a post from the Decorah Police Department's Facebook page, reports were made of a black bear sighting.

www.google.com

Article says multiple sightings in Dubuque recently, too.

From 2009:

Rural Maquoketa couple spots black bear in field

OTTER CREEK, Iowa — Jim and Sue Mayberry of rural Maquoketa were on their way to dinner in Bellevue when they saw a black bear run across a nearby field.

qctimes.com

 

[vls12345]

That's what I'm wondering. Seriously doubt they are bothering campsites in this park. Probably as rare as mass murderers in Iowa campgrounds. CS believes any deflection will work! MOO

Early in this thread, there was commentary about AOS's "paranoia" about dealing with a health insurance issue. Seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree (per CS's "paranoia" about needing guns for protection from bears in IA). A kind of familial over-thinking of non- or minor issues, imo.

MOO.

 

[PacoElFlaco]

That's what I'm wondering. Seriously doubt they are bothering campsites in this park. Probably as rare as mass murderers in Iowa campgrounds. CS believes any deflection will work! MOO

Black bear spotting in Decorah's Trout Run Park

DECORAH, Iowa (KWWL) - According to a post from the Decorah Police Department's Facebook page, reports were made of a black bear sighting.

www.google.com

Article says multiple sightings in Dubuque recently, too.

From 2009:

Rural Maquoketa couple spots black bear in field

OTTER CREEK, Iowa — Jim and Sue Mayberry of rural Maquoketa were on their way to dinner in Bellevue when they saw a black bear run across a nearby field.

qctimes.com

We were camping at Eagle's Nest NM a couple years ago and I woke up at 3AM to some large animal snuffling at my head through the wall of my tent. I assume it was a deer, but it was kind of scary to experience. Something like that could have happened to the Sherwins and they assumed it was a bear.

 

[WingsOverTX]

We were camping at Eagle's Nest NM a couple years ago and I woke up at 3AM to some large animal snuffling at my head through the wall of my tent. I assume it was a deer, but it was kind of scary to experience. Something like that could have happened to the Sherwins and they assumed it was a bear.

For sure! But if AOS or his parents feared bears at this park, it was not a very fact-based fear.

 

[WingsOverTX]

Early in this thread, there was commentary about AOS's "paranoia" about dealing with a health insurance issue. Seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree (per CS's "paranoia" about needing guns for protection from bears in IA). A kind of familial over-thinking of non- or minor issues, imo.

MOO.

Yes! I'm surprised they were camping in tents. One is very close to encounters with nature's creatures in a tent.

I think CS is just grasping at any justification. I think she might do that until her dying day. That may give insight into the family dynamic, as well. But only one Sherwin pulled the trigger, used the sharp object & strangled a 6 year old.

 

[rsd1200]

Yeah, I've camped hundreds of nights by myself in public campgrounds. Only twice ever had an issue. One was a youngster who got into my stuff while I was out for the day; LE evicted the entire family for lack of supervision. The other was someone who came through the bushes in the dark. He needed help because he'd never set up a tent before! And it was pouring with rain. And he had no flashlight (he'd never seen a headlamp, either, lol). His instructions had dissolved in the rain, lol. First thing I told him: "NEVER come through the bushes. Always approach someone else's site from the road." Then I set up his 8-person tent.
I've only ever had those 2.
But wasn't there a host at the Maquoketa campground? There are people usually up at the crack of dawn, too. Big RV owners tend to want to get on the road super early, and sometimes seniors (a significant proportion of campers) don't sleep well, so they're up 'n' at 'em.
I hope LE got more info from other campers, even if we aren't privy to it.

I hear ya on the tent issue! Always come to the front. I had thought I read that some were there for a retreat of sorts. They moved them to another campground location.

In this article, the lady who is interviewed talks about finding the little boy. You mentioned the getting up early to get the day started;

'She was talking with a friend who says she woke up to what sounded like a scream and fireworks.
I thought, well, it's six o'clock in the morning. People aren't shooting off fireworks and my next thought was not 'somebody's murdering a family," Coe said. " I had no concern at that moment."

Iowa woman recounts horrific moment man killed 3 family members at campground

 

[Kemug]

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.

I'm not sure that gels with Arlo having been in the tent?

 

[Kemug]

I'm wondering if it was a tent stake.

Yes, I think you've got it! Which gives a choice of 3 origins - a Sherwin tent, the Schmidt tent, or one that AS had brought along with him.

 

[fred&edna]

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.

RSBM

'Just wanted to say that I can see this as a definite possibility... overly enmeshed with large doses of coddling. I also agree it's likely she is in shock and denial.

We read about so many cases here on WS... lack of parenting, controlling parents, religious/strict parenting, delusional parents.... all with sad outcomes.

Maybe we will (eventually) learn more about AOS and his mindset/behaviors which could help to understand this un-explainable brutal loss of such an innocent family and leaving a sweet 9 yr old an orphan.

 

[airportwoman]

The most common predator in campgrounds, besides *advertiser censored* sapiens sapiens, is raccoons. I was taught in the Girl Scouts, and later when canoeing in the Boundary Waters, to hang our food supply between trees, where larger species can't reach it.

 

[PacoElFlaco]

I'm wondering if AOS thought at first he might get away with this. Perhaps he thought his use of an unregistered, untraceable Ghost Gun meant he could kill the Schmidts in that early-morning hour, then get back to his own tent before anyone was aware of it and LEOs could not trace the crime to him. However, when he noticed Arlo had escaped and when he had to use physical hand-to-hand violence against the Schmidts as well, he realized he would be easily identified and then ran off into the woods to kill himself.