Man gets 30 years for Wheeling rape, home invasion

Saying that Matthew Schaffer has made a “waste” of his life, a Cook County judge sentenced the Chicago man to 30 years in prison Friday for breaking into a Wheeling condominium and raping a woman in 2010.

Schaffer, 34, was convicted last June in Rolling Meadows of rape, home invasion and stealing money and property, including the victim's wedding ring.

The woman, a 31-year-old surgeon from out of state, was attacked while she slept in a guest room in a condo belonging to her friend and her friend's husband. She was not present at the sentencing hearing Friday, but a statement she wrote was read by prosecutors.

“The crime that took place on May 23, 2010, has had a permanent impact on my life ... I am afraid to be alone in my house. I am afraid to be alone on the street. I am afraid to be alone in the office,” she wrote.

“Consider how terrifying this crime has been for me,” she wrote.

When Schaffer “slithered” into the home, he stole not just the woman's dignity but also a sense of security that she may never reclaim, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Mike Clarke.

Clarke, who requested a 50-year sentence, recounted the victim's anguish and helplessness at being handcuffed, menaced with a knife and a replica handgun, sexually assaulted and threatened with death. Schaffer asked her what good she had done in her life and questioned why he shouldn't just kill her, Clarke said.

“To see flashes of a knife and a gun and hope against hope that all her attacker was there for was her property and valuables ... This is a nightmare she will never forget,” said Clarke.

The victim's friends say the attack on their guest robbed them of their sense of security, forcing them to sell their condo and install an alarm system in their new home.

“We find ourselves living in fear when the sun sets and day turns into night,” wrote the husband in a letter to the court in which he also describes his wife's pain at how their friendship with the victim has suffered. The women hardly speak and rarely see each other, he wrote. Worse still were the lies Schaffer told in court about the sex being consensual, he said.

Schaffer's sister painted a different picture of her brother, saying he is not the monster prosecutors portrayed.

“He is the farthest thing from a monster,” said Victoria Schaffer who broke down while reading her mitigation statement, as did her brother who could be seen wiping away tears.

“(He) would never intentionally harm anyone,” said Victoria Schaffer.

She described her brother as caring and sensitive, mentioned his love for his family and praised his patience and compassion when caring for their injured grandmother. She also talked about him tutoring fellow Cook County Jail inmates studying for their GED over the 505 days he has been incarcerated.

Matthew Schaffer, who has a master's degree in education, is not a typical defendant, said defense attorney Ralph Meczyk. Meczyk argued for a minimum 22-year sentence, citing his client's lack of criminal convictions, although Schaffer admitted during the trial that he sold marijuana and had done so for years. Meczyk also referenced a pre-sentence report indicating Schaffer suffered from depression and had been treated for bipolar disorder.

Redemption is possible, argued Meczyk. “Matthew Schaffer is not evil ... his heart isn't hardened.”

Schaffer must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Announcing the sentence, Cook County Judge Hyman Riebman referenced the “two faces” of the defendant.

“The family sees one side of Matthew Schaffer, but (the victim) and this community have seen another side,” Riebman said. “What a waste he has made of his life.”