The family of a woman killed in a murder-suicide in Columbus right before Christmas says that she was denied a protective order against her abusive husband just days before she was killed.
Julie Schmidtke was pregnant with her and her husband’s third child when police say she was killed by her husband, Charles Schmidtke, back on Dec. 19. Investigators say after Charles Schmidtke shot his wife in front of their children he then shot and killed himself.
Julie’s sister, Lori Griffin, said that Julie was scared in the days leading up to her death. She had filed for divorce five days before her death. 10 days before her death a judge denied her a protective order against her husband, despite bringing lots of evidence to the hearing that he was abusive.
The judge, Jon Rohde, a former Columbus Police Chief, said there was not enough evidence to grant a restraining order.
Schmidtke’s family believes that the restraining order she was denied could have saved her life. They also believe that it would have enacted the state’s red flag law so that her husband’s guns could have been taken away.
Police are still investigating what happened leading up to the shooting.
4 comments
Sad part of this is, that the judge will not lose any sleep over this. The way things are now: the criminals have more rights than the victims.
A restraining order is just a piece of paper. His gun took her life, but a gun of her own could have saved it. She put her faith in the wrong thing.
Yes she should have armed herself if she was that afraid. But the Judge is a DUMBASS! Wold any of you want to be sitting with this guy in judgement over your?
Most Judges are. Our legal system is a joke at this point. We are more worried about protecting the criminals than their victims.