Richard J. Schmidt was a U.S. physician and gastroenterologist who practiced in Lafayette, Louisiana. In the 1990s, he became the subject of a landmark criminal case after being convicted of deliberately injecting his former partner with blood contaminated with HIV and hepatitis C.
Dr. Richard J. Schmidt was an American physician and gastroenterologist practicing in Lafayette, Louisiana. In the early 1990s, he became involved in a long-term extramarital relationship with a nurse later identified in court as Janice Trahan. The two had maintained a personal and professional connection for about a decade.
In 1994, Trahan ended the relationship with Schmidt. Prosecutors later alleged that Schmidt could not accept the breakup. On the night of August 4, 1994, Schmidt called Trahan and told her he would come to her home to administer a vitamin B-12 injection, a treatment he had previously given her for fatigue during their relationship. When Trahan declined, Schmidt insisted.
When Trahan declined, Schmidt insisted. According to court testimony, he arrived late at night at her apartment and injected her in the upper arm despite her refusal of the injection, then left immediately. Trahan later began experiencing symptoms of illness.
Within months, Trahan’s health deteriorated. In early 1995, she was diagnosed as HIV-positive, and subsequent testing also confirmed hepatitis C infection.
Investigators tested all her former sexual partners and found they were HIV-negative, strengthening suspicion that her infection resulted from a non-sexual exposure.
According to prosecution records and witness testimony, Trahan suspected Schmidt of the crime due to his suspicious behavior on the night of injection and unrelenting threats during their breakup, that she will be desired no men and will die anyway.
DNA and phylogenetic analyses conducted on viral samples would later show that the strain of HIV in Trahan was highly similar to the strain from one of Schmidt’s patients living with HIV, even though HIV mutates rapidly, making this one of the earliest U.S. criminal cases where viral genetic evidence was used to link source and recipient.
The prosecution presented forensic phylogenetic evidence, comparing the genetic sequence of HIV found in Trahan’s blood to samples from Schmidt’s patient records. This type of analysis examines how closely related the viruses are and supported the conclusion that the source was one of his patients, not another sexual partner.
Schmidt was indicted for attempted second-degree murder, with the state asserting that intentionally injecting blood known to carry HIV and hepatitis viruses demonstrated an intent to cause life-threatening harm.
Prosecutors argued that Schmidt’s motive stemmed from anger and jealousy after Trahan tried to end their long-term affair. Tahran ended their 10-year relationship when Schimdt refused to leave his wife and Tahran wanted to get back to her estranged husband.
In October 1998, following a trial in Lafayette Parish, a jury found Schmidt guilty of attempted second-degree murder for injecting Trahan with HIV-infected blood. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison with hard labor.
His conviction was upheld on appeal, with the Louisiana Court of Appeal affirming that the evidence, including DNA comparisons and other records, was sufficient to support the verdict and sentencing.
After serving nearly two decades of his sentence, Schmidt sought parole. In June 2015, a Louisiana parole board unanimously denied parole, with prosecutors arguing that his actions and the harm caused justified continued incarceration. At that time, he remained adamant about his innocence.
He was eligible for parole again in 2023 under state rules, but did not obtain release.
On February 12, 2023, the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections confirmed that Richard J. Schmidt died at a Baton Rouge hospital while in the custody of the Department of Corrections. He was 74 years old at the time of his death.
Was Richard J. Schmidt found guilty?
Yes. He was convicted in 1998 of attempted second degree murder, and his conviction was upheld on appeal.
How was HIV transmission proven in court?
Prosecutors used viral phylogenetic analysis to show that the HIV strain in the victim closely matched the strain from one of Schmidt’s patients, supporting intentional transmission.
Is phylogenetic evidence reliable in criminal cases?
Courts have accepted phylogenetic evidence when supported by additional medical and circumstantial evidence, though it is typically used cautiously and alongside other proof.
