With Schnitzer In Prison, Our Mission Is Accomplished

With last Tuesday's [April 14, 2009] conviction and sentencing of David Caruso's stalker, it's high time for The Stalker Chronicles to announce "mission accomplished." With that, this blog will no longer provide updates on this story. At the time of this writing, we understand Heidemarie Schnitzer's attorney is considering filing an appeal. We anticipate Andreas Grabenweger and his client will not in all likelihood prevail at the appellate level. Unless it can be shown there was some egregious error on the part of Innsbruck's trial court, Schnitzer will go to prison for seven months followed by incarceration in a psychiatric facility for an undisclosed period of time. Our Austrian sources have indicated it's conceivable Schnitzer might not be released until 2011. See related story.

The catalyst for The Stalker Chronicles was the January/February 2007 issue of Cigar Aficionado featuring David Caruso. After reading the cover story, we decided to do some Internet research on the actor. What we found shocked us to say the least. After mistakenly landing on one of Schnitzer's four hate-David Caruso blogs, we discovered that Schnitzer had plagiarized the Cigar Aficionado article adding her own slanderous spins and fabrications. When she posted her version, she committed textbook libel. We immediately notified the editors of Cigar Aficionado who in turn informed Schnitzer of their intent to take legal action if she did not remove her rendition of their copyrighted story. Shortly thereafter, Schnitzer was forced to delete it from the offending site only later to re-post it on another one of her blogs.

For the next year, we followed Schnitzer's on-line tirades against Caruso. When The Stalker Chronicles first went on-line early 2008, we never imagined how difficult the road to last Tuesday's guilty verdict would be. The highs were few and far between with the lows dominating as the wheels of foreign judicial systems wound very slowly.

After learning in April 2008 Schnitzer had fled Austria for a second time, nearly six months went by before there were any news updates from Austria. After witnessing Schnitzer's Internet stalking rampage of David Caruso day in and day out, we were determined to see this mentally unbalanced woman brought to justice. At one point, the Kansas City Star's Aaron Barnhart coined us "the stalker's stalker," a badge of honor we proudly wore.

Our first major success came in July 2008 when we became the first blog to publish photos of Heidemarie Schnitzer and the children she had abandoned to stalk David Caruso. Once we published her photo, Schnitzer vehemently denied the photo was her for weeks on end. A month later, we began an e-mail campaign to Austrian law enforcement officials alerting them Schnitzer had fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution on stalking charges. We had evidence of her location and we provided the proof.

We expanded our efforts to Mexico's attache to Austria, Alejandro Diaz Perez Duarte and Austria's attache to Mexico, Werner Druml. We also contacted Austrian Court officials along with Austria's Minister of Justice, Dr. Maria Berger. We cannot thank these individuals enough for their help which ultimately resulted in February's arrest of Schnitzer.

After making numerous phone calls to the Tijuana and Rosarito police, we began an e-mail blitz to Mexican officials including the Governor of Baja California, Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan and Mexico's top cop, Genaro Garcia Luna. Time and again, we e-mailed Mexican Immigration officials including their administrative assistants and low-level bureaucrats. We banked on someone getting this story to the proper officials and it worked.

We posted biographical pieces about each Baja mayor publishing their photos and e-mail addresses. When time went by without any results, we e-mailed them again and again and yet again. Along the way, we made many friends both in Mexico and Austria who provided us with invaluable information and tips.

In October 2008 our long and at times exhaustive attempts to bring Schnitzer to justice, saw a small victory when Austrian Judge Guenther Boehler modified his original warrant for the stalker's arrest and issued an International warrant. The new warrant which was valid outside the E.U. made headlines around the world and a global manhunt ensued. Officials close to the story however knew for a fact that Schnitzer was hiding out on Mexico's Baja peninsula.

Clearly in denial that law enforcement was closing in, Schnitzer stepped up her Internet hate campaign against David Caruso. She repeatedly updated her four anti-Caruso blogs in her ongoing efforts to disparage the actor, his family and associates. From her Mexican spider hole, Schnitzer trolled and spammed forums, boards and fan sites reportedly for 16 to 20 hours a day to foment comment wars and attack Caruso at every opportunity. She used hundreds of pseudonyms to slander David Caruso attempting to give the illusion of support when there wasn't any. After receiving a tip of her activity, Digg banned her from their site. At one point, Schnitzer posted pornographic comments about Caruso's toddler son on the Who's Dated Who forum. Said comment has since been deleted by the site.

Finally Friday, February 20, 2009, on what had been an otherwise uneventful day, turned out to be the moment The Stalker Chronicles and so many others had worked for many long and hard hours. The Stalker Chronicles decided to check Mexico's on-line papers for possible updates never expecting to find anything substantive. We were stunned to say the least when we read the RSS Feeds for OEM En Linea and learned, thanks in part to our many hours of college level Spanish, that Schnitzer had been arrested the night before by the Tijuana police. We were humbled when we read that Tijuana law enforcement had credited The Stalker Chronicles for aiding them in the capture of Heidemarie Schnitzer.

Within moments, we contacted our source at Mexico City's Associated Press bureau and learned they too were planning to run with the story. And when the wires updated, The Stalker Chronicles again was recognized by the venerable Associated Press. Our long and oftentimes arduous trek as an Internet detective was seeing recognition we never in our wildest dreams imagined could be possible.

A month after Schnitzer was captured by the Tijuana police, she was extradited to Austria by Interpol. And finally on April 14, 2009, Schnitzer was tried and convicted for sending death threats to David Caruso in part when the prosecutor introduced evidence of a prior conviction. In 1994, Schnitzer was found guilty of making threats to an ex-boyfriend and at one point told her lawyer she was capable of going on a "killing spree." We now understand why Schnitzer fled not once, but twice after being indicted for stalking David Caruso. Schnitzer's prior conviction weighed heavily in Judge Guenther Boehler's decision to sentence her to seven months in prison followed by an extended confinement in a psychiatric facility. We applaud Judge Boehler for taking a tough stance and condemning stalking.

And now it's time dear readers for The Stalker Chronicles to sign off. But before we do, we would like to thank some very special people we met along the way who helped and supported our investigative endeavors: Ace of SpadesHQ, Aaron Barnhart, The Associated Press, The Austrian Times, Lindy, CorupusChriste, Tanyadell, Krystal, George C., I Like To Watch TV, Across The Border, Thomas Hochwarter, Marcus J. Oswald, Thomas Lechner, William Kole, Niko Price, Mike G and our many friends in Tijuana and Rosarito including Nancy. A heartfelt thanks goes to Lacyleanne who first published the stalker's given name. And many thanks to Rachel who paved the way with her in-depth research.

To borrow from Dylan Thomas, we will "not go gentle into that good night." In fact, we plan to continue in the blogosphere blogging about a life-long hobby. So long dear friends. It was a wild ride indeed.

David Caruso Media Frenzy Moves Into Overdrive With Upcoming Stalker Trial

The David Caruso media frenzy continues this upcoming week as a court room in the small Austrian city of Innsbruck stands poised to be the next major headline producer. On Tuesday David Caruso's mentally unbalanced stalker, Heidemarie Schnitzer, will finally have her day in court. Schnitzer will be tried on multiple charges including stalking, threatening to murder David Caruso, Greta Caruso and Liza Marquez and fleeing Austria to avoid prosecution. The trial is expected to last a couple of hours with the verdict and sentence to be announced shortly after closing arguments.

For a copy of the death threat letter Schnitzer mailed to Caruso, please see below. Stay tuned to The Stalker Chronicles for frequent updates as they become available.

David Caruso Stalker Appears In Court April 14

Reinhard Fellner of Austria's Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper is reporting that Heidemarie Schnitzer, David Caruso's mentally deranged stalker, will not have to wait as long in pre-trial detention as previously expected. Recognizing Schnitzer posed a flight risk, Judge Guenther Boehler ordered her detained until time of trial after she was extradited to Austria. This ruling came after Schnitzer twice failed to appear for court hearings and fled the jurisdiction for Mexico where she was captured in February.

Following the Easter holidays, Schnitzer will make her first court appearance on Tuesday, April 14. At that time, Judge Boehler will rule on a Motion to institutionalize Caruso's stalker. Austrian laws, much like those in the U.S., require speedy disposition of criminal cases. Schnitzer will more than likely serve out her sentence in a mental facility.

http://www.tt.com/tt/tirol/story.csp?cid=6187592&sid=56&fid=21
http://serienfans.tv/news.php?serie=csimiami&id=1754

David Caruso and David Letterman - Two Stalkers with One Major Difference

With the news spreading about David Caruso's fugitive Austrian stalker Heidi Schnitzer, comparisons are being drawn to another CBS celebrity, David Letterman. For years, Letterman was stalked and hounded by Margaret Mary Ray. Breaking into Letterman's home, trespassing on his property and stealing his auto were but a few of Ray's attempts to be close to the object of her desire. Ray's somewhat dubious fame sprang from years of mental illness and as this article details ended tragically.

After reading this horrific tale of Ray's delusions of a relationship with David Letterman, the similarities to Heidi Schnitzer's stalking of David Caruso became chilling. There was one major difference however. Unlike Heidi Schnitzer, Margaret Mary Ray NEVER threatened to murder Letterman and members of his family. As we all know, Schnitzer has threatened Caruso, his daughter Greta and Liza Marquez with murder. It is feared that Schnitzer may be planning to make good on these threats in the very near future. A copy of Schnitzer's death threat letter can be found below this post.

Like Margaret Mary Ray, Heidi Schnitzer is in serious need of professional intervention if she is ever to recover from her stalking addiction. Until Schnitzer takes that critical first step and surrenders to authorities, she will never receive the help she so desperately needs. We can only hope that Margaret Mary Ray's tragic history is not repeated.

Heidi Schnitzer remains a fugitive hiding out in the Tijuana, Mexico area. She is armed and considered to be extremely dangerous. Do not attempt to apprehend this woman. Contact the U.S. Border Patrol at 1-800-232-5378 , the FBI or Austria's Bundeskriminalamt at +43-(0)1-531 26-0.

David Caruso - Schnitzer's Arrest Warrant As Reported by The Associated Press April 16, 2008

With Vipix gone and all five of Schnitzer's screen names now banned by Digg , David Caruso's fugitive Austrian stalker finds herself in a major tailspin. Regrouping later this afternoon, Schnitzer began attacking this blogger's credibility once again by touting the absurd claim that an arrest warrant had never been issued until last week. We all know how Heidi claims over and over again that she is not the woman sought for stalking so the question begs, why is she so interested in all of this?

The Stalker Chronicles stands by its previous report that an arrest warrant was issued in April, 2008. And to back up our claim, here's the April 16, 2008 article published by the Associated Press reporting that Schnitzer fled Austria to avoid being prosecuted on charges she stalked and threatened to murder David Caruso and two others. Note the mention that a Judge signed an arrest warrant:

Austrian Police Looking For Woman Accused of Stalking CSI: Miami Star David Caruso

VIENNA, Austria: Austrian authorities searched on Wednesday for a woman who failed to appear for the start of her trial on charges of stalking and threatening to kill "CSI: Miami" star David Caruso. A judge signed a warrant for the woman's arrest after she failed to show up for Wednesday's trial in the city of Innsbruck, Austrian media reported. The Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper said her lawyer had reassured authorities last week that she intended to be in court. The public prosecutor's office in the alpine province of Tyrol said the suspect vanished without a trace and took her laptop with her.

Prosecutors allege the woman sent more than 100 letters to Caruso and pursued the American actor for an autograph. They said Caruso received death threats after refusing to give her the autograph. In line with Austrian privacy laws, authorities identified the defendant only as a 41-year-old native of Tyrol. She was identified after a joint investigation by the FBI and Austria's Federal Criminal Investigations Bureau.

A 2007 letter allegedly containing the threat bore a Miami postmark and showed up in Caruso's fan mail, Austrian authorities said. They said it read in part: "I will locate you and your ugly Latina tramp and kill you."The 52-year-old Caruso is the star of the CBS series and plays Miami police Lt. Horatio Caine.It was unclear whether the Latina reference alluded to actress Alana De La Garza, who played Caruso's TV wife until her character was gunned down by drug dealers.

Because of the location of the trial, Austrian media have dubbed the affair "CSI: Innsbruck."The Austria Press Agency reported Wednesday that Karin Treichl, a court-appointed psychiatrist, testified that the suspect had been diagnosed with a "profound personality disorder."

Officials said the woman originally had been ordered to appear in court in July 2007, but was outside the country at the time and never showed up, delaying the proceedings until this week.

If convicted, she faces up to three years' imprisonment under Austria's recently toughened anti-stalking law, and the possibility of additional time if charged, tried and convicted on related charges of eluding justice.

The Associated Press

Published: April 16, 2008

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/16/arts/EU-A-E-CEL-Austria-Caruso-Stalker.php

The U.S. Border Patrol remains on high alert with photos of Heidi Schnitzer at all check points. For those traveling to the Southern California/Tijuana, Mexico area please be on the look out for Schnitzer. She is armed and considered dangerous. Report all suspicious activity to the Border Patrol at 1-800-232-5378. Or contact the local police in Tijuana, the U.S. FBI or Austria's Bundeskriminalamt at +43-(0)1-531 26-0.

David Caruso - Vivica A. Fox Denies Caruso Rumor

Vivica A. Fox appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien this evening and put to bed the latest David Caruso rumor being planted by none other than Heidi Schnitzer, Caruso's fugitive Austrian stalker. When O'Brien asked Fox about reports she was dating CSI Miami's David Caruso, Fox responded:

"That's the craziest thing ...I have never, never met him[referring to David Caruso] but supposedly we were seen canoodling in a couch and he was telling me that he likes rap lyrics.. and that I was totally turned on."
O"Brien then asked Fox, " Is David Caruso some one you might date or are you physically attracted to him, is it possible? Fox answered, "the only redhead I have ever liked is you [referring to Conan O'Brien]." NBC's Late Night With Conan O'Brien, September 3, 2008

Thank you Vivica! Looks like it's back to the drawing board for Caruso's rumormongering stalker. OUCH, that hurts.

The U.S. Border Patrol is on heightened alert and has photos of Heidi Schnitzer at all check points. For those traveling to the Southern California/Tijuana, Mexico area please be on the look out for Schnitzer. She is likely armed and considered extremely dangerous. Report all suspicious activity to the Border Patrol at 1-800-232-5378. Or contact the local police in Tijuana, the U.S. FBI or Austria's Bundeskriminalamt at +43-(0)1-531 26-0.

David Caruso - Schnitzer's Deadly Stalker Caper

With the season premiere of CSI Miami three weeks away, sources close to the situation continue to express concerns that David Caruso's stalker intends to follow through with her death threats. The U.S. Border Patrol remains on heightened alert fearing that Schnitzer may attempt to storm the border, travel to the Los Angeles area and begin hunting down David Caruso, his daughter Greta Caruso and Liza Marquez.

Schnitzer may have significantly changed her appearance availing herself of hair dye, wigs and possibly cheap plastic surgery known to be widely available in the Tijuana area. Schnitzer appears to have some type of employment that occupies her during the early to late evening hours. Please remain diligent and report any and all sightings to local law enforcement.

The U.S. Border Patrol remains on high alert with photos of Heidi Schnitzer at all check points. For those traveling to the Southern California/Tijuana, Mexico area please be on the look out for Schnitzer. She is armed and considered dangerous. Report all suspicious activity to the Border Patrol at 1-800-232-5378. Or contact the local police in Tijuana, the U.S. FBI or Austria's Bundeskriminalamt at +43-(0)1-531 26-0.