Schubert's son found dead in dormitory room
 |
|
||||||||||
Nick Schubert, whose father is on trial for allegedly murdering Nick's mother 12 years ago, was found dead in his college dormitory room in California over the weekend.
The cause of death for the 18-year-old was unknown, according to San Joaquin County coroner's investigators. They expected to complete an autopsy today.
There were no signs of foul play, nor was there a suicide note, coroner's officials said. They said Schubert had been taking medication for a sleep disorder, but there was no indication he had taken too many pills.
"We're at a loss at this point as to what his death is attributable to," coroner's investigator Al Ortiz said.
Ortiz said Schubert's roommate at the University of the Pacific in Stockton found him in his bed Sunday afternoon and believed he was sleeping. When the roommate returned several hours later, he realized something was wrong and alerted authorities.
Schubert's death comes as Snohomish County jurors continue to deliberate in the trial of his father, 62-year-old David Schubert, charged with first-degree murder in the disappearance of Juliana Schubert.
She hasn't been seen since summer 1989, and her body has never been found.
Nick Schubert was 6 when she vanished; his brother, André, was 8. They have always insisted on their father's innocence.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers both requested the jury be sequestered so there would be no chance they would learn of Nick Schubert's death through news reports.
But Judge Ronald Castleberry let jurors return home yesterday afternoon after they assured him they would avoid all media. They are to enter their fourth day of deliberations today.
Castleberry also instructed the jury not to be prejudiced by David Schubert's absence from the courtroom yesterday. Schubert was distraught over news of his son's death and was escorted from the room before the jury was brought in.
In an interview before his trial, David Schubert said his son had been upset by the first-degree-murder charge.
Prosecutors had filed a murder charge in 1994 but requested the case be dismissed when the lead detective on the case became too ill to testify.
Juliana Schubert's mother successfully pursued a wrongful-death suit against Schubert in behalf of her grandsons several years ago, though they testified in support of their father.
Nick Schubert, who was a college freshman, said in an interview several weeks ago that the ordeal of another trial would be worth it if his father were found not guilty.
Maurene Stanton, who was principal of Arlington High School last year when Nick Schubert was a student there, described him as quiet, respectful and very bright. "He had some real high goals for himself," she said.
He earned mostly A's, was active in the Distributive Education Clubs of America and won an academic scholarship to the University of the Pacific, where school officials said he was well-regarded by students who knew him.
"He was a really sweet guy," said Sager Kopchak, a friend who met him the first day of orientation.
"He was a pretty quiet kid but a really good listener, and always there for you."
Kopchak said he didn't talk much about his family, and she didn't know his father was on trial.
But the effect of his family's ordeal had been obvious, said Rick Leo, one of Schubert's lawyers.
"You could tell how much this weathered him when you looked in his eyes," Leo said. "You could tell how much it pained these kids for so long."
Seattle Times staff reporter Catherine Tarpley contributed to this report.