AZ - Susan Schmidt, 21, shot to death, Glendale, 22 March 1978 *Arrest in 2015*

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http://www.glendaleaz.com/police/ColdCase_SusanMarieSchmidt.cfm

http://www.phoenixmag.com/lifestyle/valley-news/201007/remembering-susan-marie-schmidt/1/

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http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special14/articles/0718coldcase0718.html
Susan Marie Schmidt, 21, a Glendale resident and honors student at Arizona State University, was murdered on her way home from a trip to a mall at 59th and Northern avenues in Glendale.

The aspiring probation officer was shot several times with a .22-caliber weapon after she had pulled out of the mall parking lot, investigators said.

Her vehicle, a blue 1976 Toyota Celica, was found in a neighborhood on 55th Avenue, south of Northern, with Schmidt, a former cheerleader at Glendale High School, slumped over the steering wheel, according to police.

The murder occurred more than 30 years ago on March 22, 1978. Throughout the years, Glendale police have insisted the case can be solved but that things haven't come together.

Investigators have suspected Schmidt may have been killed in a chance encounter with the murderer, who was possibly out shopping. The gun has not been found.

Police ruled out robbery as a motive because Schmidt's purse and purchases were undisturbed. However, her car keys were missing and have never been found.

In addition, police believe that Schmidt knew the killer, likely a male, because she had stopped in the roadway and let the person get close enough to shoot her at point-blank range.

Apparently, she didn't view the person as a threat until it was too late, police said.

In 2003, to mark the silver anniversary of their daughter's death, her parents, Ernest and Ruth Schmidt, urging the killer to step forward.

The Schmidts, former Payson residents now living in Goodyear, issued a statement making this plea, "You know who you are, and only you can finish this anguish not only for her family but for yourself."

Trace evidence, including hair fibers, was gathered at the scene and preserved, Geisler said. Now, DNA analysis is being done to determine if the evidence can be linked to somebody, he said.

How you can help: To offer help, e-mail coldcase@glendaleaz.com or phone the Glendale police tip hotline at 623-930-3399. Anonymous calls also can be made to Silent Witness at 1-800-343-TIPS.
 
I wonder if she had any problems with friends or exes? If LE thinks she knew the murderer- and it doesn't seem like the standard MO for a serial killer- it seems like someone with a grudge would be the best bet.
 
Susan was a sweet friend of mine. She was Extremely smart & very driven. She had a lot of potential & had hoped to work in the field of law. And she was going after her goal.

Few things I remember. Her car was found on the street at West Valley Mall (Northern & 59th street). Passenger side window rolled down & it was almost as she knew the person that came to the window & was shot from that side. This has been an unsolved case since 1978 & still feels like an open wound. I've heard that the parents had kept the car she was found shot in-- they kept in their garage for years, no word if parents are still alive today.(Now w DNA so advanced seems like it could find the killer w the dna from that car) She did have an ex boyfriend that was known in those days to be violent (I think it was a case of unrequited love when their relationship ended) Big guy & a violent chap but not enough violence to get in trouble w law- just enough to threaten girlfriends in the day. Remembering a story of an ex he threw out of a car. There has been talk around town for many years that some know for certain in their mind who committed the crime & all points to the same guy. But who knows... life goes on- people who don't get caught will meet their maker at some point~& pay their own special price. However this has happened so many years ago that it is sort of a distant memory &many people have simply moved on.
 
http://cnews.canoe.com/CNEWS/Crime/2015/08/26/22545204.html

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"Edward Meinhold, 54, was taken into custody without incident late last week at his home in Bristol, Virginia, on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with the killing of Susan Schmidt 37 years ago.

Police said the alleged killer, who was a teenager at the time, did not know the victim. But they said he lived near the site of the murder, then moved to Virginia in his early 20s.

Meinhold has denied any involvement and was being held in jail there awaiting extradition to Arizona, said Glendale police spokesman Sergeant David Vidaure.

A breakthrough in the case came in April when a police forensic technician conducted additional analysis on physical evidence gathered by investigators, Vidaure said. He declined to be more specific".
 
Virginia man arrested in 1978 Glendale homicide
http://www.kpho.com/story/29885536/virginia-man-arrested-in-1978-glendale-homicide
Witnesses reported seeing a man standing at or near Schmidt's car. They followed up on many leads, but all were ruled out and the case went cold. Detectives and forensic investigators continued to work the case over the years.

It was the oldest homicide case at the Glendale Police Department, but after an additional analysis on physical evidence in April, police were able to identify Meinhold, of Bristol, Virginia, as a suspect.

video & more at link.
 
http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/f...cle_4286c779-9d6e-5f4e-b965-4d1d61d17764.html

A Glendale Police forensic technician conducted additional analysis on physical evidence collected from the crime scene and was able to identify then 54-year-old Edward Meinhold of Bristol Virginia as a suspect, according to police.

Detective Geisler began conducting countless interviews both locally and in Virginia. He spoke with Mr. Meinhold, who had lived in Glendale at the time of Ms. Schmidt’s murder and lived a short distance from the crime scene. He was eventually arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

His capital case is still making its way through Maricopa County Superior Court. A trial is currently set for February 6, 2017, according to court's website.
 

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