Man charged with killing daughter-in-law at Schaumburg hotel dies in custody

A 76-year-old northern Illinois man who authorities say fatally shot his daughter-in-law last July outside a Schaumburg hotel, died last week at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago.

Roland Schmidt, of Stillman Valley, was admitted to the hospital in December and remained there until his death Feb. 3, according to a Cook County sheriff’s department spokesman.

The preliminary cause of death was complications due to cancer.

Schmidt was charged last year with first-degree murder in the death of Christine Moyer, 45, of Galena, Ohio. Prosecutors said Schmidt shot Moyer on July 25, as they and other relatives left the hotel after a wedding reception.

He had pleaded not guilty in September.

Authorities said Schmidt was upset Moyer had served his son with divorce papers earlier that month. They say Schmidt intended to kill her and then end his own life.

There was no indication anything was amiss during the reception, prosecutors said. Family members sat together and there were no arguments or conversations about the divorce because the victim’s husband had told only his parents.

Prosecutors said Schmidt pulled out a gun and shot Moyer in the head as family members exited the hotel about 10:12 p.m.

A witness attempted to disarm Schmidt with help from her husband, who managed to wrestle the gun away from Schmidt, authorities said. An unrelated person who was outside the hotel at the time helped the husband take Schmidt to the ground, according to prosecutors.

Another witness, who identified himself as an off-duty police officer, secured the gun until Schaumburg officers arrived.