Murdered Groomer's Trial Starts in Florida

[Stephen]

Murder trial arguments expected today

VIERA -- Jury selection continues this morning in the murder trial of Samantha Schmidt. Attorneys said they expect opening state*ments to begin this afternoon or Friday morning.

Schmidt, 22, was charged with first-degree felony murder after police said she and her boyfriend, Brandon Bennett, ran over Linda Geiger with Bennett’s pickup truck after snatching Geiger’s purse in a Melbourne Wal-Mart parking lot during a 2004 drug binge.

Geiger, a 56-year-old Indialan*tic animal groomer and divorced mother of one, had taken off early from work to do Christmas shop*ping. She was dragged beneath the truck’s tires when she refused to let go of her purse. Schmidt, who prosecutors contend drove the vehicle as the pair fled, faces life in prison.

[diamienono]

How sad. To die over a purse and some money.

[OneGroovyGroomer]

What an awful happening, and right before Christmas too. It is sad.

[Crystal]

OMG

that is awful, her poor family.

[bow_wow_wheels]

It might be that she had it slung over her shoulder & chest like I carry mine sometimes and *couldn't* let it go. Sad...

[Raggs]

That's so sad... I'll twist and wrap the straps of my purse around my hand so I don't have to hold on to it and if someone tries to grab it, they wont get it. Such a shame, people killing other people over money....

[misscatahoula]

Poor woman and her family. So wrong that her life was taken away over some money. Life is cheap to some. Very sad story.

[Mary1980]

That is so sad. She should have just given it over. Her life wasn't worth what was in that purse. My dad always says throw it and run in the other direction. Granted I know she works hard for that money, but some people are crazy and evil.

[Helly]

That's one reason I don't carry money or anything valuable in my purse...when I bother to carry one. It has nothing but junk in it; a notebook, pens, hair brush. If someone wants to snatch that, fine by me. By the time they realize they have nothing but trash, I'll be as far away as my old legs can carry me.

[toomuchfunbnme]

How sad!

That is so tragic! I feel so bad for the poor groomer and her family!

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

I just don't understand where people get off thinking they can get something and not have to work for it (like MONEY for example). And now someone has died over it. Whomever said some people think life is cheap is right. That is so sad. And who carries enough money around that it would make THAT much of a difference in the life of those who stole it? It probably had $20 and a credit card that would have been reported very soon.

Was it really worth it to them? The money would have been blown in 5 minutes and yet someone's life was taken and can never be returned. Disgusting.

Tammy in Utah

[dogtnkd]

I'm very sad at the loss of a fellow groomer, my thought and prayers are with her family.
Karen

[Pawshpooch]

That happened to me two days before christmas. I left my purse in the car during work overnight at Wal-Mart and they smashed my window with a spark plug and got off with my purse. They have 8 hours to do what they want with it until I found out what happened.
The following week two ladies were robbed at gun point the same day, in daylight, in the parking lot!
The week after that the assitant manager, who is a good friend, car was stolen!
Seems that crime is getting worse and worse.

[Maggy]

I don't mean to make light of the situation, but Helly's post reminded me of a story my neighbor in Philly told me.

She was riding a bus one day and was in the front seat with a tote bag in her lap, someone was getting off the bus and as he did, he snatched the bag and ran. What he had no way of knowing is that she was pregnant and had gestational diabetes, the Dr had asked her to collect her urine for a day and the only thing in the tote bag was the container she was collecting it in.

Imagine his surprise when he looked in the bag to see what he got!

[nuk]

omg! i went to school with that schmidt girls sister.

how horrible for that poor lady's children.