Scott Bernard Amedure (January 26, 1963 – March 9, 1995) was an American murder victim who was fatally shot after revealing on The Jenny Jones Show that he was attracted to an acquaintance.

The acquaintance, Jonathan Schmitz–who had a long-standing history of mental illness–later shot Amedure and was found guilty of second degree murder. The Amedure family sued The Jenny Jones Show for wrongful death but the judgment was subsequently overturned by the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Appearance on The Jenny Jones Show and murder

On March 6, 1995, Amedure was taped for an episode of the The Jenny Jones Show, in which he admitted to being a secret admirer of Jonathan Schmitz, who lived near him in Lake Orion, Michigan. Until the taping, Schmitz had no idea who his secret admirer was. Schmitz stated he went on the show out of curiosity and later claimed that the producers implied that his admirer was a woman.

According to the testimony at the murder trial, three days after the taping, Amedure left a "suggestive" note at Schmitz's house. After finding the note, Schmitz withdrew money from the bank, purchased a shotgun and then went to Amedure's mobile home. There, he questioned Amedure about the note. Schmitz then returned to his car, got his gun and returned to Amedure's trailer. He then shot Amedure twice in the chest, killing him. After killing Amedure, Schmitz left the residence, called 9-1-1 and confessed to the killing

Trial and sentencing of Schmitz

Schmitz was found guilty of second degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to 25–50 years in prison, but his conviction was overturned on appeal. Upon retrial, he was found guilty of the same charge once again and his sentence was re-instated.

Wrongful death

In 1999, the Amedure family sued The Jenny Jones Show, Telepictures and Warner Brothers for the ambush tactics and their negligent role that led to Amedure's death. In May 1999, the jury awarded the Amedures 25 million US dollars. The jury found that the Jenny Jones Show was both irresponsible and negligent, contending that the show intentionally created an explosive situation without due concern for the possible consequences. Time Warner's defense attorney later claimed the verdict would cause a chilling effect on the industry.

The judgment was later overturned by the Michigan Court of Appeals in a 2 to 1 decision.

The Michigan Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

Wikipedia.org

Michigan v. Schmitz

Jonathan Schmitz, 26, agreed to appear on a secret admirers segment of the Jenny Jones TV show expecting his admirer to be a woman, not his gay neighbor.

When Schmitz found Scott Amedure, a 32-year-old unemployed gay man, telling a television audience about a fantasy that involved Schmitz, some whipped cream, strawberries and champagne, he became embarrassed and, his lawyers said, enraged.

Three days after the taping, on March 9, 1995, Schmitz received an anonymous, sexually suggestive note on his doorstep and assumed it came from Amedure.

Schmitz purchased a 12-gauge shotgun, went to Amedure's mobile home, and fired two shots at close range into Amedure's chest. A few minutes later, Schmitz dialed 911 from a pay phone at a gas station near his sister's house. He said "I just walked in the room and killed him."

The Charges

Schmitz was charged with first-degree murder and committing a felony with a firearm. To convict him of first-degree murder, prosecutors must prove that the murder was premeditated. If convicted of this charge, Schmitz faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The jury is alowed to consider lesser charges, such as second-degree murder or manslaughter.

The Prosecution's Case

Though Schmitz may have been embarrassed by the Jenny Jones taping, it did not justify his killing Amedure, the state argued. Schmitz drove to one store to purchase a shotgun, drove to another for ammunition, and drove to Amedure's home before firing the fatal shots. That demonstrates premeditation, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors contended that when Schmitz went to Amedure's mobile home, Schmitz became violent. They say that a police report indicating an upturned chair at the crime scene shows that Amedure was trying to defend himself.

The State had an oral confession and a videotaped confession. In a pretrial hearing, however, the judge ruled that both confessions were inadmissible because the oral confession was made without Schmitz being read his Miranda rights and the videotaped confession was made while his right to counsel was being violated.

The Defense's Case

Schmitz's attorneys argued the defense of diminished capacity. They claimed Schmitz lacked the mental state required to have committed premeditated murder when he shot Amedure.

According to the defense's theory, Schmitz simply snapped after finding the note on his doorstep. Lawyers attributed Schmitz' reaction to Grave's disease -- a thyroid gland disorder that can cause irrational and violent behavior -- and manic depression.

The Jenny Jones Show

In Jones' Dec.11, 1995 deposition, she insisted that the show, which never aired, had no connection to the shooting. She contended that Schmitz was told that his admirer could be either male or female, though the defense claimed the show's producers led Schmitz to believe his secret admirer was a woman.

The Prosecution

Roman Kalytiak, an assistant county prosecutor in Oakland County, Michigan, graduated from the University of Notre Dame School of Law in 1987. In 1994, he was appointed senior trial attorney, responsible for high-profile prosecutions.

The Defense

The lead attorney, James Burdick, has been in private practice since 1970. He previously served as an assistant prosecutor for Wayne County, Detroit. He is a 1968 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School.

Fred L. Gibson has been in private practice since 1978. A former state trooper with the Michigan police department, he began his legal career at a firm that represented the 4,000-member Detroit Police Officer's Association. He left the firm to start his own practice, representing police officers in both civil and criminal matters. He graduated from the Detroit College of Law in 1986.

The Judge

Judge Francis X. O'Brien was elected to the Oakland County Circuit Court in 1976 and re-elected in 1982, 1988, and 1994. He earned his undergraduate and law school degrees from the University of Detroit.

Some Of The Key Evidence

• An upturned chair found at crime scene -- a prosecution expert apparently could not determine whether it was thrown offensively or defensively;

• A tape of Schmitz's 911 call;

• A videotape of the Jenny Jones segment;

• A note from a Jenny Jones staff member to Jenny Jones stating that Schmitz is hoping that his crush is a woman. It then says "Scott [Amedure] has an inkling that Jon [Schmitz] is bisexual" and that Jon is "going to die when he sees it's Scott."

Legal Terms:

• First-degree murder: Premeditated killing. In Michigan a conviction on this charge carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole.

• Second-degree murder: Deliberate, but not premeditated killing.

• Manslaughter: Killing without malice.

• Premeditation: Considering an action before carrying it out. First-degree murder must be premeditated.

• Diminished capacity: Lacking the mental state required to commit a crime. Typically, the result of a mental disorder or trauma.

The Verdict

On Nov. 12, 1996, the jury opted against the most serious charge, first-degree murder, and found Jon Schmitz guilty of second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm in commission of a felony. On Dec. 4, he received a 25 to 50 year sentence. Schmitz will serve at least 20 years before he is eligible for parole.

CourtTV.com

Jury awards over $25M to Amedure family in "Jenny Jones" civil trial