Robert Schwartz, a renowned biotechnology scientist, was stabbed to death at his Leesburg, Virginia home in December 2001 in a killing orchestrated by his daughter Clara Jane Schwartz and carried out by her friend Kyle Hulbert, with two others assisting. All four were convicted for their roles in the crime.
Robert Schwartz was a nationally recognized scientist in biometrics and DNA research. In 1978 he co-authored a key paper in *Science* with Margaret Dayhoff providing the first experimental evidence for Lynn Margulis' theory of the symbiogenetic origin of cellular mitochondria and chloroplasts. In 1992, he was a founding member of the Virginia Biotechnology Association. He was the father of three children, including Catherine Michele, Jesse, and Clara Jane Schwartz.
On December 8, 2001, Robert Schwartz was killed at his farmhouse in Leesburg, Virginia. Michael Pfohl drove Kyle Hulbert to the Schwartz residence, accompanied by Pfohl's girlfriend, Katherine Inglis. Schwartz let Hulbert into the house, and Hulbert stabbed him to death with a two-foot sword. Schwartz's body was discovered two days later.
Police identified Pfohl through a car that had called for a tow truck near the house around the time of the murder, and brought Pfohl and Inglis in for questioning. On December 11, 2001, Inglis told police that Schwartz's daughter Clara had discussed the murder with the three of them beforehand, and that the stated motive was that Schwartz had allegedly hit Clara and that she believed he had tried to poison her. Clara Jane Schwartz, then a sophomore at James Madison University, was charged on February 2, 2002, and formally indicted on March 31, 2002, for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder. Inglis, Pfohl, and Hulbert had each been indicted previously in connection with the killing.
Clara Schwartz was the first of the four co-defendants to stand trial, in October 2002. Prosecutors, including Jennifer Wexton, argued that Clara used a role-playing game called Underworld to manipulate her friends into killing her father, asserting that she had long hated him and wanted him dead. The defense contended that Hulbert had taken Clara's in-game directives out of context and that she never intended for anyone to actually kill her father. A witness referred to as Patrick testified for the prosecution that Clara had increasingly spoken of killing her father, researched herbal poisons to make his death look natural, discussed the inheritance she stood to gain, and grew frustrated when he did not act, eventually finding a willing participant in Hulbert.
On October 15, 2002, a jury convicted Clara Schwartz of first-degree murder, and on February 10, 2003, she was sentenced to 48 years in prison. She has pursued multiple unsuccessful appeals, the most recent affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on March 9, 2010. Kyle Hulbert was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole; Michael Pfohl received eighteen years; Katherine Inglis served one year for conspiracy to commit murder.
Robert Schwartz co-authors a key paper with Margaret Dayhoff in Science providing early experimental evidence for the symbiogenetic origin theory of mitochondria and chloroplasts.
1992
Schwartz becomes a founding member of the Virginia Biotechnology Association.
2001-12-08
Robert Schwartz is stabbed to death at his Leesburg, Virginia farmhouse by Kyle Hulbert, who was driven there by Michael Pfohl and Katherine Inglis.
2001-12-10
Schwartz's body is discovered, two days after the killing.
2001-12-11
Katherine Inglis tells police that Clara Schwartz discussed the murder with the group beforehand.
2002-02-02
Clara Jane Schwartz is charged in connection with her father's murder.
2002-03-31
Clara Schwartz is formally indicted for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder.
2002-10
Clara Schwartz's trial begins, the first of the four co-defendants to go to trial.
2002-10-15
A jury convicts Clara Schwartz of first-degree murder.
2003-02-10
Clara Schwartz is sentenced to 48 years in prison.
2010-03-09
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirms Clara Schwartz's conviction in her most recent appeal.
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People
Clara Jane Schwartz
CONVICTED
Daughter of victim; convicted of first-degree murder on October 15, 2002, and sentenced to 48 years in prison for orchestrating the killing.
Kyle Hulbert
CONVICTED
Carried out the stabbing of Robert Schwartz with a sword; sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Katherine Inglis
CONVICTED
Accessory to the crime who accompanied Pfohl and Hulbert; served a one-year sentence for conspiracy to commit murder.
Robert Schwartz
VICTIM
Nationally renowned scientist in biometrics and DNA research, killed at his Leesburg, Virginia home on December 8, 2001.
Michael Pfohl
CONVICTED
Drove Kyle Hulbert to the crime scene as an accessory to the murder; sentenced to eighteen years.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Robert Schwartz, a renowned biotechnology scientist, was stabbed to death at his Leesburg, Virginia home in December 2001 in a killing orchestrated by his daughter Clara Jane Schwartz and carried out by her friend Kyle Hulbert, with two others assisting. All four were convicted for their roles in the crime.
Where did the murder happen?
Leesburg, Virginia.
Who was convicted?
Clara Jane Schwartz (Daughter of victim; convicted of first-degree murder on October 15, 2002, and sentenced to 48 years in prison for orchestrating the killing.), Kyle Hulbert (Carried out the stabbing of Robert Schwartz with a sword; sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.), Katherine Inglis (Accessory to the crime who accompanied Pfohl and Hulbert; served a one-year sentence for conspiracy to commit murder.), and Michael Pfohl (Drove Kyle Hulbert to the crime scene as an accessory to the murder; sentenced to eighteen years.).
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