Wicked Doll
April 19th, 2009, 02:58 PM
A boy who survived his parents’ 2003 murder-suicide in northern Nevada has been hospitalized, authorities said, and his guardians have been arrested on suspicion of failing to properly care for him.
Christopher Schmerber, 14, who was shot and paralyzed in the earlier incident, was listed in critical condition at an Oakland, Calif., hospital with renal failure and ulcerated bed sores.
He was initially taken to a Carson City hospital on Feb. 17 with at least four severely infected bed sores, according to court documents.
His aunt, Lorraine Bowers, 46, and her husband, James Bowers, 48, were arrested April 3 on charges of felony child neglect and endangerment.
The couple denied intentionally harming the boy, according to police reports obtained by the Nevada Appeal, Carson City’s newspaper.
Lorraine Bowers, a registered nurse, told a deputy that she was the boy’s primary caregiver, but she had been out of town caring for her sick mother between Jan. 21 and Feb. 17 when the sores worsened.
Christopher Schmerber was 9 years old when he was wounded in the November 2003 incident at his family’s home in Mound House just east of Carson City.
He was shot twice by his mother, Tamara Schmerber, before she turned the gun on herself, sheriff’s investigators said.
The mother earlier had shot and killed her husband, Richard Schmerber.
Investigators pieced together what happened with the help of the couple’s 12-year-old daughter, who said she was told by her mother three times to stay in her room as the shootings unfolded.
The couple had been struggling with finances.
A preliminary hearing in the latest case scheduled for next week has been continued. No new date has been set.
James Bowers was being held in jail on $25,000 bail. Lorraine Bowers was released on bail Friday.
http://www.rgj.com/article/20090418/NEWS/90418016/1321/news
Murder-Suicide Article (2003)
The killings of a Mound House couple was a murder-suicide by a woman who shot and wounded her 7-year-old autistic son before turning the gun on herself, Lyon County investigators said.
Sheriff's Lt. John Arndell said investigators pieced together what happened from autopsy reports and the account of Richard and Tamara Schmerber's 12-year-old daughter, who said she was told by her mother three times to stay in her room Tuesday morning as the shootings unfolded.
"She told detectives that sometime around 7:18 a.m. she heard gunshots coming from the dining room," Arndell told the Nevada Appeal. "Her mother came to her door and told her to stay in her room."
The girl told investigators she heard more shots.
"Her mother returned to her door and told her again to stay in her room. She heard her brother calling to her mother, saying he couldn't get up, and crying," Arndell said.
Tamara Schmerber returned to her daughter's door a third time, and told her that her father was on the floor and that she had his gun, Arndell said.
When her mother went back to the dining room, the girl heard more shots, a pause, and one final gunshot.
Arndell said the girl stayed in her room until 8:54 a.m., when she went into the living room and called police.
"Her mother told her there was another person in the house, but she did not hear anybody else's voice," Arndell said.
An autopsy conducted Wednesday revealed Tamara Schmerber, 42, died of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the right temple. Gunshot residue was found on her right hand.
Richard Schmerber, also 42, was killed by a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.
The boy was struck twice at close range in the thigh and shoulder. Arndell said the angle suggests he was facing away from his mother when he was shot.
The boy remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition at Washoe Medical Center in Reno.
The father's body was found in the kitchen and investigators speculate he may have been pouring a cup of coffee when he was shot. Tamara Schmerber was found lying on her back near the master bedroom door.
When investigators moved her body, they discovered her husband's revolver, which he owned as an armored-car driver for Loomis Fargo & Co.
"No evidence was recovered that would suggest a third adult person in the residence," Arndell said.
Investigators said the couple had severe financial problems.
The couple's older daughter, who also is autistic, was at school during the shootings, police said. The children are being cared for by their grandparents, Arndell said.
http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/445341.html
Christopher Schmerber, 14, who was shot and paralyzed in the earlier incident, was listed in critical condition at an Oakland, Calif., hospital with renal failure and ulcerated bed sores.
He was initially taken to a Carson City hospital on Feb. 17 with at least four severely infected bed sores, according to court documents.
His aunt, Lorraine Bowers, 46, and her husband, James Bowers, 48, were arrested April 3 on charges of felony child neglect and endangerment.
The couple denied intentionally harming the boy, according to police reports obtained by the Nevada Appeal, Carson City’s newspaper.
Lorraine Bowers, a registered nurse, told a deputy that she was the boy’s primary caregiver, but she had been out of town caring for her sick mother between Jan. 21 and Feb. 17 when the sores worsened.
Christopher Schmerber was 9 years old when he was wounded in the November 2003 incident at his family’s home in Mound House just east of Carson City.
He was shot twice by his mother, Tamara Schmerber, before she turned the gun on herself, sheriff’s investigators said.
The mother earlier had shot and killed her husband, Richard Schmerber.
Investigators pieced together what happened with the help of the couple’s 12-year-old daughter, who said she was told by her mother three times to stay in her room as the shootings unfolded.
The couple had been struggling with finances.
A preliminary hearing in the latest case scheduled for next week has been continued. No new date has been set.
James Bowers was being held in jail on $25,000 bail. Lorraine Bowers was released on bail Friday.
http://www.rgj.com/article/20090418/NEWS/90418016/1321/news
Murder-Suicide Article (2003)
The killings of a Mound House couple was a murder-suicide by a woman who shot and wounded her 7-year-old autistic son before turning the gun on herself, Lyon County investigators said.
Sheriff's Lt. John Arndell said investigators pieced together what happened from autopsy reports and the account of Richard and Tamara Schmerber's 12-year-old daughter, who said she was told by her mother three times to stay in her room Tuesday morning as the shootings unfolded.
"She told detectives that sometime around 7:18 a.m. she heard gunshots coming from the dining room," Arndell told the Nevada Appeal. "Her mother came to her door and told her to stay in her room."
The girl told investigators she heard more shots.
"Her mother returned to her door and told her again to stay in her room. She heard her brother calling to her mother, saying he couldn't get up, and crying," Arndell said.
Tamara Schmerber returned to her daughter's door a third time, and told her that her father was on the floor and that she had his gun, Arndell said.
When her mother went back to the dining room, the girl heard more shots, a pause, and one final gunshot.
Arndell said the girl stayed in her room until 8:54 a.m., when she went into the living room and called police.
"Her mother told her there was another person in the house, but she did not hear anybody else's voice," Arndell said.
An autopsy conducted Wednesday revealed Tamara Schmerber, 42, died of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the right temple. Gunshot residue was found on her right hand.
Richard Schmerber, also 42, was killed by a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.
The boy was struck twice at close range in the thigh and shoulder. Arndell said the angle suggests he was facing away from his mother when he was shot.
The boy remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition at Washoe Medical Center in Reno.
The father's body was found in the kitchen and investigators speculate he may have been pouring a cup of coffee when he was shot. Tamara Schmerber was found lying on her back near the master bedroom door.
When investigators moved her body, they discovered her husband's revolver, which he owned as an armored-car driver for Loomis Fargo & Co.
"No evidence was recovered that would suggest a third adult person in the residence," Arndell said.
Investigators said the couple had severe financial problems.
The couple's older daughter, who also is autistic, was at school during the shootings, police said. The children are being cared for by their grandparents, Arndell said.
http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/445341.html