Former PCB man accused in judge murder plot committed to mental hospital
By ZACK McDONALD
PANAMA CITY, FL
A former Panama City Beach man accused of attempting to contract abductions and the murders of two local judges has been acquitted of the charges by reason of insanity, according to court records.
Joseph Russell Schmitt, 49, was committed Friday to a state mental hospital in connection with a 2013 incident when he allegedly attempted to arrange the murder of two circuit judges. A public report of his mental evaluation was not available Friday. However, Schmitt still has numerous pending charges from violent crimes that cut through several Southern states, court records indicated.
Schmitt was accused of threatening to kill several people, including Bay County Judge Allen Register and Washington County Judge Chris Patterson, according to arrest records. During the course of discussions with an undercover Bay County Sheriff’s officer, Schmitt was to provide a storage area to carry out the abduction, torture and murder of the judges for a fee, BCSO reported.
An exact figure was not revealed, but the reporting officer said a substantial amount of money was to change hands.
While being wanted in Bay County, Schmitt allegedly beat and attempted to smother his 90-year-old mother in Texas and threatened authorities with explosives after his arrest in Louisiana. He then was transferred to St. Johns County to face cyberstalking charges before returning to Bay County to have a combined bond of $200,000 placed on his release.
BCSO also wanted Schmitt for allegedly making a false child abuse report to the Department of Children and Families.
In Bay County, Schmitt was evaluated only in connection to the two counts of solicitation to commit murder, two counts of solicitation to commit kidnapping, two counts of aggravated stalking and making a false report of child abuse. Competency evaluations for the latter three counts are pending, court records indicated.
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