PANAMA CITY — A former Panama City Beach man who is accused of conspiring to murder two local judges was returned Monday to Bay County, leaving a trail of violent charges open in his wake along the South.
Joseph Russell Schmitt, 48, was wanted in Bay County on a series of charges including allegedly attempting to arrange the murder of two circuit judges from August 2013. 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 was then transferred to St. Johns County to face cyber stalking charges before circling back around to Bay County to have a combined bond of $200,000 placed on his release.
Schmitt had been 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, according to BCSO reports.
A figure was not revealed, but the officer said a substantial amount of money was to change hands.
BCSO also wanted Schmitt for allegedly making a false child abuse report to the Department of Children and Families (DCF). In his report, Schmitt claimed the father of his ex-girlfriend’s children used methamphetamine and cocaine in front of the kids, drove while intoxicated and once held a gun to their mother’s head.
Upon investigation, authorities discovered a voice message to the mother from Schmitt bragging about the report, in which the officers could hear Schmitt calling in his report in a three-way call with DCF, officers reported.
A warrant was issued for Schmitt in Bay County when he was arrested outside his room at the Horseshoe Casino Hotel in Louisiana by U.S. Marshals Service and FBI agents. After his arrest, Schmitt told authorities that he had explosive devices inside his hotel room and his vehicle parked outside the hotel, according to police.
The hotel was evacuated and the Bossier City Fire Department Bomb Squad responded to the scene. No explosive devices were found.
Schmitt was on his way to Bay County when authorities caught him in Bossier City. He was coming from his 90-year-old mother’s home in Lewisville, Texas, and allegedly beat her and tried to smother her with a pillow before leaving, BCSO reported.
Charges in Texas and Louisiana remain open against Schmitt for those incidents.
Judge Register presided over an April 2013 domestic violence case involving Schmitt and his girlfriend, who lived together at Island Reserve Condominiums in Panama City Beach, according to court records. The case resulted in a domestic violence injunction, or restraining order, against Schmitt. His ex-girlfriend was relocated to a domestic violence shelter in another county, and also was an alleged target in Schmitt’s murder-for-hire plot.
Before the relocation, the victim complained that Schmitt said he was “going to skin her” and kill everyone she worked with, according to police reports.
Judge Patterson’s connection to Schmitt is unclear, officials said after his arrest in Louisiana. However, both judges were informed of the threats and given personal protection through the investigation.
An arraignment date was not available after Schmitt’s first appearance on the charges Monday.