Jury finds Shasta County man guilty of murder, torture, arson in killing of Jimmy Schwerdt
A jury on Wednesday found a Shasta County man guilty of first-degree murder, torture, mayhem, arson and related charges in the killing of a member of a prominent Redding family heavily involved in Enterprise High School athletics and academics.
The Shasta County Superior Court jury deliberated for only an hour-and-a-half in the shooting death of Jimmy Schwerdt on March 16, 2022. Schwerdt was 47 years old when he was killed by Steven Schlapia at the 60-year-old man’s home northeast of Redding.
Schwerdt’s parents, Jim and Nancy Schwerdt, have been heavily involved at Enterprise High School for many years.
Jim Schwerdt was a teacher at the school, where he coached several sports and was at one time the school’s athletic director. Nancy Schwerdt worked in the health and counseling department at the school for decades.
The Enterprise High School basketball court is named after Jim Schwerdt. Jimmy Schwerdt and both of his parents all graduated from Enterprise.
Friends, as well as members of Schwerdt’s family, were in court Wednesday when the jury came back with a verdict.
Mike Moynahan of Redding, a friend of the Schwerdts, said he attended each day of the trial to show support for the family. After the verdict was read and the family gathered outside the courtroom, Moynahan said Nancy Schwerdt gave him a hug.
“She said, ‘This is a conclusion that will allow Jim and me to sleep at night.’ And so this was a big deal,” Moynahan said. He praised Senior Deputy District Attorney Kelly Kafel’s work during the trial, and said he was relieved at the outcome.
“So it was a it was a very, very good moment for all of us that saw this come out the way it should have come out,” Moynahan said.
Some of the testimony during the trial was difficult, considering the nature of how Jimmy Schwerdt was killed, he said.
Kafel said during the trial that Shlapia got to know Schwerdt and his family about a year before the killing, after Schwerdt had helped out Schlapia when his vehicle broke down. After that, Schlapia would sometimes drop by unannounced at the Redding home of Jimmy Schwerdt and his family.
The day before the killing, Schwerdt’s wife, Faith, told sheriff’s deputies that she heard the garage door of their home open and then the sound of a motorcycle start and drive away, Kafel said. The next day, March 16, they went outside and saw Schlapia’s car in their driveway and their motorcycle gone, Kafel said.
The family began calling Schlapia and sending him text messages asking him to return the motorcycle. When he did not bring back the motorcycle, Schwerdt and a friend went to Schlapia’s home off Bear Mountain Road north of Redding, Kafel said.
The friend dropped off Schwerdt, who walked up the driveway to the house, while his friend turned his truck around. Shortly thereafter, Schwerdt was shot four times, including once in the head. Kafel said all of the shots came from behind Schwerdt.
The prosecutor said Schwerdt’s friend heard a voice say after the shots were fired, “I can’t feel my feet! What are you doing, bro?”
And then a reply, “Does it feel good, bro. I’m going to kill your family!”
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After the shooting, Schlapia lit Schwerdt on fire, hit him with a pipe and slammed a door on top of him, Kafel said. Schlapia also tried to light other things on fire at the home, Kafel said.
Schlapia left the home before sheriff’s deputies arrived, and he was found by law enforcement several miles away. He did not have identification on him and he smelled like gasoline, Kafel said.
Schlapia’s lawyer, Michael Borges of Redding, told the jury that his client shot Schwerdt out of self-defense and that he was afraid Schwerdt was armed when he came to his house.
However, it was an argument the jury rejected.
Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at [email protected] and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Jury finds Shasta County man guilty in Jimmy Schwerdt’s murder
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