- Scott Amedure
-
Scott Amedure 
Born Scott Bernard Amedure
January 26, 1963
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaDied March 9, 1995 (aged 32)
Lake Orion, MichiganCause of death Homicide Nationality American 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.[1] 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.
Contents
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.[2][3]
According to the testimony at the murder trial, three days after the taping, Amedure left a "suggestive" note at Schmitz's house.[4] 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.[5]
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 reinstated.[6]
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.[7] 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.[8] Time Warner's defense attorney later claimed the verdict would cause a chilling effect on the industry.[9]
The judgment was later overturned by the Michigan Court of Appeals in a 2 to 1 decision.[10]
The Michigan Supreme Court declined to hear the case (see official document).[11]
See also
Notes
- ^ "Man Convicted Again In Talk Show Murder". The New York Times. 1999-08-27. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01E1DC153BF934A1575BC0A96F958260. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
- ^ "Fatal Shooting Follows Surprise on TV Talk Show–New York Times". The New York Times. 1995-03-12. Archived from the original on 2008-07-08. http://www.webcitation.org/5Z9qMNtuG. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Carter, Bill (1996-11-01). "Talk-Show Host, Testifying at Murder Trial, Plays Down Her Role in Program". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2008-07-08. http://www.webcitation.org/5Z9qQFCOI. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Bradsher, Keith (1996-11-13). "Talk-Show Guest Is Guilty Of Second-Degree Murder–New York Times". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2008-07-08. http://www.webcitation.org/5Z9xEOmO3. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Jennings, Marianne M. (2005). Business: Its Legal, Ethical and Global Environment. Thomson West. pp. 388. ISBN 0-324-20488-4.
- ^ "25-50 Year Sentence in Talk Show Slaying". The New York Times. 1999-09-15. http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/15/us/national-news-briefs-25-to-50-year-sentence-in-talk-show-slaying.html.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Sadler, Roger L.Tyreese (2005). Electronic Media Law. SAGE. pp. 227. ISBN 1-412-90588-5.
- ^ "Talk show held negligent in guest's killing". cnn.com. 1999-05-07. http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/TV/9905/07/talk.show.slaying.03/. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
- ^ "Michigan Court of Appeals–Court Opinions". Archived from the original on 2008-07-08. http://www.webcitation.org/5Z9xOezVq. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ "Gilbert, et al. v. Ferry, et al." (PDF). http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data2/circs/6th/041207p.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
External links
Categories:- 1963 births
- 1995 deaths
- American murder victims
- American victims of anti-LGBT hate crimes
- People from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- People murdered in Michigan
- Deaths by firearm in Michigan
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
