Stephen Schwartz Was Murdered In His Florida Mansion In 2014. Years Later, His Family Found Out the Doctor Had a Dark Past of His Own

Dateline has brought different analyzable lawsuit to light.

An Oct. 31 section chronicled nan decade-old execution of Dr. Steven Schwartz, a able kidney master who was recovered shot, strangled and stabbed wrong his Tarpon Springs, Fla., home, per CBS News. Though DNA grounds led constabulary to apprehension and convict his contractor, Anton Leo Stragaj, nan doctor's family had beardown suspicions that his woman was nan existent culprit.

Becky Schwartz called nan constabulary to study a robbery connected nan nighttime of Steven's execution successful May 2014. In nan weeks that followed, she began behaving erratically, showing up astatine neighbors' houses unannounced and canceling memorial services for her precocious husband.

"It each points to her. She astir apt wasn't nan 1 who pulled nan trigger, but she was down it all," Dr. Robert Patton told CBS News' 48 Hours successful February 2017. When asked astir nan motive, he pointed to his aesculapian partner's estimated $30 cardinal fortune. "Money. Money. Money. She is into money for illustration you and I are into breathing air."

Becky was ne'er charged pinch thing related to her husband's murder. But successful March 2025, a civilian tribunal recovered her responsible for Steven's decease successful a suit revenge by his children, Suncoast News reported.

Stragaj spent 7 years successful situation earlier being released and deported to Albania. Becky has denied sidesplitting Steven, and nan section authorities lawyer confirmed that nan investigation is still open.

Here's everything to cognize astir nan execution of Dr. Steven Schwartz, and why his family thinks his woman was involved.

A robbery study led constabulary to Steven’s assemblage

On May 28, 2014, Becky called nan constabulary to study a robbery aft coming location to find their location was successful disarray, on pinch missing valuables — including a room knife. But erstwhile detectives arrived astatine their lavish, 8,000-square-foot waterfront home, they recovered 74-year-old Steven lying successful a excavation of humor successful their garage, Dateline and Suncoast News reported.

An autopsy study recovered that he had suffered gunshot and stab wounds to nan caput and was stabbed successful nan neck, per Bay News 9. Later reports revealed that nan expert had besides been strangled.

DNA from Steven’s contractor was recovered connected his assemblage

Testing recovered Stragaj's DNA connected aggregate parts of Steven's clothing. That find led constabulary to apprehension nan Albanian contractor, who had worked for nan family for years without due ineligible position successful nan U.S., successful April 2015.

He told 48 Hours that he was nan 1 who discovered Steven's assemblage but he didn't telephone nan constabulary because he was acrophobic of being deported.

"I had thing against nan man," Stragaj said, noting that Steven paid him complete $100,000 a year. "I loved nan man. And he provided activity for maine … So I had nary dislike for him. I had nary revenge aliases nothing."

Stragaj claimed Becky asked him to prosecute a hitman

Stragaj denied sidesplitting Steven — and claimed to cognize who did: Becky. The contractor alleged that nan doctor's woman had asked him to "find personification to termination Dr. Schwartz" six months earlier nan murder.

"I deliberation she murdered him," Stragaj told 48 Hours, besides claiming that nan only logic he recovered Steven's assemblage was because Becky had asked him to prime up her purse from their home. "She staged this. She group maine up. She planned it. She planned it for a agelong time."

After uncovering Steven, Stragaj alleged that he confronted Becky astir nan execution and that he saw a weapon wrong nan purse she had asked him to fetch. "I said, 'What nan hellhole did you do?' " nan contractor recalled. "And she said, 'You cognize why I did it.' "

That speech allegedly took spot 10 hours earlier Becky called nan police, according to Stragaj. He besides said that Steven's woman threatened to withhold early activity and money from him if he turned her in. He was arrested astir a twelvemonth later.

Multiple friends and family members believed Becky was involved 

It's not conscionable Stragaj. Steven's loved ones besides believed his woman was progressive successful nan murder, including his son, Carter Schwartz. In 48 Hours, he alleged that Becky was transferring money from her associated slope relationship pinch Steven to accounts that he couldn't access.

When he alerted his begetter astir this, Steven claimed he would "take care" of it.

But he didn't, and Carter later learned that Steven had revised his property scheme a twelvemonth earlier his decease to time off his full luck to Becky alternatively than his 3 children.

Though his boy couldn't fathom why his begetter would do that, 1 of nan doctor's labor reportedly told constabulary that Becky "was blackmailing Dr. Schwartz by withholding accusation that could ruin his career."

Steven was convicted of execution successful nan 1960s 

Carter's attorneys theorized that nan accusation successful mobility was a decades-old execution condemnation Steven had agelong buried successful nan past.

In November 1961, nan past 21-year-old early expert changeable and killed dentist Dr. Victor Cook successful a robbery gone incorrect successful New Mexico, according to CBS News.

His friend, Phillip Dyer, told 48 Hours that Steven whitethorn person been motivated by gambling indebtedness erstwhile he murdered Cook. Steven was convicted of nan sidesplitting and spent 9 years successful situation earlier his condemnation was commuted. He earned his aesculapian grade successful Italy and kept his criminal past a concealed — moreover from his children.

"I didn't moreover cognize astir it until aft his death," Carter told 48 Hours. "If [Becky] knew — which I person each logic to judge she did — that's wholly imaginable that was thing utilized against him." 

Becky was recovered civilly responsible for her husband’s decease successful 2025

Though Steven's woman was ne'er charged successful narration to his murder, she was held responsible for his decease successful a civilian court. In 2016, nan doctor's children revenge a wrongful decease suit against Becky, claiming that she murdered him aft he discovered she was embezzling money from his aesculapian practice, Suncoast News and CBS News reported.

Almost 10 years later, a judge awarded them astir $200 cardinal and deemed Becky civilly responsible for Steven's death.

After Stragaj was arrested for first-degree execution successful 2015, he spent 7 years successful situation earlier pleading blameworthy to 1 count of accessory aft nan fact. He was sentenced to 8 years successful situation and was released and deported to Albania successful September 2022.

Becky has ever maintained her innocence successful Steven's murder. The Pinellas authorities lawyer told Suncoast News that nan homicide investigation is still open.