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Charles Howard 'Smitty' Schmid, Jr (July 8, 1942 - March 30, 1975), also known as The Pied Piper of Tucson, is a serial killer from the 1960's. His crime, profiled in the 4 March 1966 issue of Life Magazine, inspired "Where are you going, where have you been?", a short-story by Joyce Carol Oates, and "The Lost", a novel by Jack Ketchum.

[edit] Biography

Charles Schmid was born to an unwed mother on 8 July 1942, and adopted by Charles and Katharine Schmid, owners and operators of Hillcrest Nursing Home in Tucson, Arizona. He often got into arguments with his foster father. He often did poorly in school despite being described by many as intelligent and courteous. An accomplished athlete, he excelled at gymnastics and even led his high school to a State Championship, but quit the team his senior year.

Just before graduating, Charles stole some tools from the machine shop, and was subsequently suspended. He never returned to school. He began living in his own quarters on his parents' property and received an allowance of $300 a month. His foster parents left him to run on his own with a new car and a motorcycle. He spent much of his time on Speedway, picking up girls and drinking with buddies, although he tended to be a loner. His best friends were Paul Graff, who lived with him, John Saunders, and Richie Bruns.

Schmid died after receiving 20 stab wounds from fellow prisoners.

[edit] The Murders

Schmid once told a girl that he had murdered a young man who had killed his girlfriend in a car accident, cut off his hands and buried him in the desert. Schmid was a pathological liar who attempted to create sympathy or inspire awe with calculated stories. However, there is some doubt that he actually made the story up. He once claimed four murders, which indicated that this might have been the first. Yet, he was only prosecuted and convicted of three, that of Alleen Rowe, Gretchen Fritz, and Wendy Fritz.

[edit] References and Further Reading

[1]Cold-Blooded: The Saga of Charles Schmid, the Notorious "Pied Piper of Tucson", by John Gilmore. ISBN 0-922915-31-8

[2] Crime Library Serial Killer entry for Charles Schmid.

[3] Link to "Growing Up in Tucson", a story in Time Magazine, published on 11 March 1966. Requires subscription.

[4] Link to "Secrets in the Sand," a story in Time Magazine, published on 26 November 1965. Requires subscription.

[5] Original Article that inspired "Where are you going, where have you been?" by Joyce Carol Oates, this article ("The Pied Piper of Tucson: He Cruised in a Golden Car, Looking for the Action") was written by Don Moser and appeared in Life Magazine on 4 March 1966 (pp 19-24, 80-90)