23-Year-Old Sentenced for 2021 Murder of Birch Run Man

A 23-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for his role in the death of a Birch Run man on October 15, 2021.

Jordan Schmitzer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder on Tuesday after being found guilty of felony murder last month.

Authorities say Schmitzer and four others went to the home of 65-year-old Scott Engelhardt in 2021, planning to steal his drugs, but Schmitzer shot Engelhardt in the head with a .22 caliber rifle before all 5 suspects left. Schmitzer later returned and set fire to the house, likely while Engelhardt was still alive according to a medical examiner.

In addition to the murder charge, Schmitzer was convicted of first-degree arson, unlawful imprisonment, and felony firearm. The other suspects in the case, Faith Lord, Jordan Harrison, Kyle Bostic, and Nolan Croton, are all still awaiting trial.