California Man Found Guilty of Murder and Arson After Fatal Fight Over Stolen Motorcycle
A guy in California was found guilty of killing a friend and setting the body on fire outside his house after a fight over the victim’s stolen motorcycle. Web court records show that Steven Ronald Schlapia, 60, was found guilty of killing Jimmy Wade Schwerdt, 47, on Wednesday.
Schlapia was found guilty of murder in the first degree, torture, breaking, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, setting fires, having a gun while being a criminal, and having ammunition.
It was Nancy Schwerdt who told Mike Moynahan about what happened. Mike Moynahan is friends with the victim’s parents, Jim and Nancy Schwerdt.
“This is the end that will let Jim and me sleep at night,” she said. “So this was a big deal,” Moynahan said.
Schlapia took Schwerdt’s motorcycle in the morning of March 15, 2022, which was the first thing that led to the killing, Shasta County Superior Deputy District Attorney Shelly Kafel told the jury, according to Record-Searchlight writer Damon Arthur.
The prosecutor told the newspaper that Schwerdt went to Schlapia’s home the next day in the 13000 block of Fernie Way outside of Redding, which is more than 200 miles north of San Francisco, to get it back when Schlapia didn’t answer calls or texts asking for it. The newspaper said that Schlapia shot Schwerdt, set his body on fire, hit him with a pipe, and slammed a door on him there.
After shots were fired, Schwerdt’s friend, who had dropped him off at the house, said they heard someone say, “I can’t feel my feet!” “Dude, what are you up to?” and someone asked, “Does it feel good, bro?” The Record-Searchlight said, “I’m going to kill your family!”
KRCR, a local ABC station, reported that Schlapia said Schwerdt attacked him in the driveway and pulled out a gun, so he shot Schwerdt to protect himself. Michael Borges, Schlapia’s defense lawyer, said that Schwerdt’s injuries to his face and head happened when the victim fell against a tractor. The prosecutor said this was not true, and it was also claimed that no gun was found on Schwerdt.
When the police arrived at the scene of the crime, Schwerdt was already dead in the yard, and Schlapia was nowhere to be found. He was caught many miles from his home after a huge search that made people afraid and told them to stay put.
KRCR reported that Schlapia said he and the victim met outside of a sandwich shop the previous year and became friends. He said he borrowed Schwerdt’s scooter because his car broke down at Schwerdt’s house. People loved Schwerdt as a father, husband, friend, and the only person who could support his family.
“Jimmy worked hard to make sure that his wife could stay home and raise their two young boys,” a GoFundMe page for his family said. “Jimmy cared about others and loved them deeply.”
If Schlapia is found guilty on Sept. 16, he could spend 25 years to life in jail.