Part 7 - What About Schultz's On Duty Gun?

       Since Laurie Bembenek’s trial, many questions have been raised about the ballistics evidence.  At trial, the prosecutor claimed that Detective Elfred Schultz’s off- duty gun was the murder weapon and that Laurie was the only person who had access to it at the time of Christine Schultz’s murder.  Two Wisconsin Crime Laboratory ballistics experts had examined both Detective Schultz’s on-duty and off-duty guns and testified that his off duty gun was the murder gun. 

       Recent ballistics tests by both Bembenek’s expert and a different State expert failed to match Schultz’s off duty gun to the bullet that had been removed from Christine Schultz’s body. Years earlier, five forensic experts specifically stated that Shultz’s off duty gun did not match the wound that was made when the murder gun was placed against Christine’s body at the time it was fired.   There are many reasons to question the original Crime Laboratory expert’s opinions that the off-duty gun was the murder weapon.  

       Twenty-one days after the murder Detective Elfred Schultz delivered two guns to other Detectives who turned them both in to the Crime Laboratory.  He claimed that one was his off-duty gun and the other was his on-duty gun.  There is evidence to suggest that he had at least one additional gun that he did not submit for examination.  At the Crime Laboratory those same experts found unexplained blood on the muzzle of his on-duty gun, which was consistent with a gun being placed against a body when fired.  Further tests were conducted and the blood was determined to be type “A” (Exhibit 7-1).  When Christine Schultz’s blood was determined to be type “A” (Exhibit 7-2), Schultz could not give a reason for the blood on his on-duty gun.  Police conducted no further investigation into the matter.

Exhibit 7-1

Exhibit 7-2