Suspect in killing at Schaumburg hotel ordered detained

A 76-year-old man charged with killing his daughter-in-law Friday outside a Schaumburg hotel will remain behind bars while awaiting trial, a Cook County judge ruled Monday.

Roland Schmidt, of Stillman Valley, Illinois, faces a charge of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Christine Moyer during a family wedding at the Schaumburg Marriott Hotel.

Schmidt made his initial court appearance Monday at the Cook County courthouse in Rolling Meadows, where a public defender argued for his release pending trial, citing his age and a litany of health problems.

But Judge Ellen Mandeltort determined Schmidt is a threat to the public and ordered he remain in the Cook County jail. He’s scheduled to return to court Aug. 22.

“He executed her in the presence of her own family,” Mandeltort said.

According to Schaumburg police, officers called to the Martindale Road hotel at 10:15 p.m. Friday found Moyer, 45, near the front entrance suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.

The Galena, Ohio, woman was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where she later was pronounced dead, officials said.

Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Sheri Bennet said Schmidt was upset after learning Moyer had his son served with divorce papers on July 8. The couple was married for 16 years and had two children, she said.

Schmidt planned to kill Moyer and then end his own life, according to Bennet. She asked he remain in custody, citing “brazen actions” that posed a threat to witnesses and others.

Schmidt entered the courtroom using a cane and wearing what appeared to be light blue hospital scrubs. He sat in a chair during the hearing.

Bennet said the family sat together at the wedding and there was “nothing out of the ordinary.” Several family members were leaving the hotel about 10:12 p.m. when Schmidt pulled out a gun and shot Moyer in the back of the head, authorities allege.

After the shooting, family members attempted to disarm Schmidt and were assisted by a bystander and off-duty police officer, according to Bennet. Police recovered a firearm at the scene, officials said.

Bennet described Moyer as “a person who was loved by all.”