Albert Schmidt (serial killer)

On October 19, 1888, a Mr. R. Whittaker was fishing in the Murrumbidgee River, when he chanced upon the headless, naked body of a man stuffed into a log. He quickly contacted authorities, and they quickly began investigating the mysterious death.[4] The man was young, rather short (1.62 meters tall) and had several pieces of flesh hanging from his body, suggesting he had put up a fierce struggle with his killer.[5] He was decapitated post-mortem with two distinct cuts,[5] but neither the head, nor the clothes could be located.[6] Despite several inquiries by Constable Nixon, nobody reported a missing person from the surrounding area, suggesting that the deceased might've been a foreigner, possibly a labourer.[7]

Two years later, when Schmidt was arrested for Taylor's murder, it was discovered that during the supposed time frame of the murder, he had been employed near Murrumbidgee as a fisherman. Additionally, William Givney, owner of the Coach and Horses hotel, recognized Schmidt as a man who had checked into his hotel shortly before the murder had taken place.[8]

A 54-year-old native of Hochkirch, Prussia, Rick had been in Australia since 1870. He was described as short, stout, of ruddy complexion, with a high forehead, black curly hair, a deformity on the left side of his crown and with a full black beard. A resident of Rushworth, Victoria, he initially had a successful job as a miner before turning towards prospecting. As he was a very steady and industrious man, which presumably made him lots of money, he got himself acquainted with John Young Taylor, Schmidt's future victim.[9] The two men travelled to Parkes on October 23, 1889, where he withdrew 30 dollars. As Taylor had paid for both's expenses, it is assumed that Rick was in a dire financial situation. Disappointed by the false advertisement of the situation in the area, the duo moved to Lambing Flats, where they met with Albert Schmidt. After prospecting for some time, Taylor left for Rushworth in December, leaving Rick and Schmidt in Lambing Flats.[9] He took some of Jacob's items and brought them to his friends, telling them that he would come back soon and would definitely write to them.[10] Rick was last seen alive on New Year's Eve in Wee Jasper, accompanied by Schmidt, on a horse-drawn carriage.[11]

When Schmidt returned to Wee Jasper on January 3, he was asked by various people about Rick's whereabouts. Albert (who presented himself as "Alfred Smitz", from Hamburg), gave various explanations,[11] including that he was in a gold rush.[10] In the meantime, he disposed of the carriage and the horse. When Taylor returned, Schmidt reunited with and followed John everywhere, eagerly convincing him to leave Rushworth for Tumbarumba, where he claimed they could find lots of gold. He was so anxious about it, that he even helped a local firm repair Taylor's wagon for 10 days, and when questioned about Rick, he claimed that he had been left behind in Albury. The duo then promptly left the area.[9]

When the news about Taylor's murder spread, suspicion fell on Schmidt concerning Rick's disappearance. Mounted police and aboriginal trackers were dispatched towards Wee Jasper in search of Rick's body, which was believed to have been buried somewhere in the outback.[11] Although the body was never located, Schmidt was connected to his murder through Jacob's silver watch, which was found to be in his former companion's possession.[12] While being questioned by Rev. John McIntyre in order to confess to the killing, Schmidt wasn't persuaded to do so, but suspiciously remarked that "it was enough to die for one man."[12][11]

On April 7, 1890, Schmidt and Taylor were both seen together at Junee, mucking about. In the following hours, multiple witnesses observed Taylor become increasingly intoxicated with brandy in several establishments, with his friend Schmidt only having small pints of shandygaff. Eventually, they were last seen in a hotel in Alfredtown, and after they left, they in the direction of a mutual friend named King. On the way in the wagon, the drunken Taylor mocked Albert and called him a liar, whom initially refused to retaliate. In the heat of the moment, Schmidt grabbed a tomahawk and hit John on the head, causing him to fall out of the wagon.[2] Quickly realising that he had died, Schmidt panicked, wondering where he would hide the body out in the open. After deliberating for some time, he eventually bought a shovel from a store near Old Junee and decided to bury him near a railroad. He noticed some men working nearby, so he camped until nighttime, when he stripped the bloodied clothes off the corpse and cut the throat. At some point, he heard a crack, which came from the neck. In order not to have Taylor's body identified, he decapitated him, burying the body and head in different locations before burning the clothes and washing the wagon off in a nearby spring.[2]

After concealing his crime, Schmidt decided to go to Wagga Wagga, where he would confess his sins before a clergyman and then end his life. Before that, he would write down a confession in his notebook about the killing. While travelling along the Junee road, he came across two policemen, who noticed blood dripping off the wagon. Frozen in fear, Schmidt was arrested and put on the wagon so he could be driven back to the police station. On the way, he unsuccessfully tried to cut his throat with a razor and then a penknife, but was prevented; a bit later on, when he came to his senses, he grabbed his revolver and tried to fire it, initially unsuccessfully, and afterwards firing a non-lethal shot into his mouth. He was then sent off to the hospital, where he directed the authorities to the body's location. After his recovery, he was sent to the prison lock-up, where he was later visited by Rev. John McIntyre for an interview, in which he broke down and wept on several occasions.[2]