The Fateful Night of Ken Juedes’ Death
On August 30, 2006, Cindy Schulz-Juedes claimed to have discovered her husband Ken’s lifeless body in their home after spending the night in the camper. He had been shot twice in the chest.
According to Cindy, she woke up at 8 a.m. and went to check on her husband, only to find his car still in the driveway, which sparked her concern that he was running late for work.
Cindy attributed her failure to hear the fatal shots to her heavy medication intake that night. The gruesome scene, she described as “the most horrific” she had ever witnessed, leaving her “terrorized.”
The Mysterious Camper Sleepover
The night of Ken’s murder, Cindy opted to sleep in the camper instead of their house, citing a headache as the reason. She had planned to host a previously fostered child that night, but the child never showed up.
Cindy and Ken regularly took in foster children, but there were no children in the home on the fateful night.
A Delayed 911 Call
Rather than calling 911 herself, Cindy went to her neighbor’s house and requested they make the call, claiming her cell phone was out of order.
While the neighbor was on the phone with 911, Cindy left and proceeded to inform another neighbor about her husband’s death.
A Substantial Inheritance
Ken’s estate was valued at nearly $1 million, including land and a life insurance policy, with Cindy set to inherit the majority of it.
The Circumstantial Evidence
The prosecution’s case against Cindy relied entirely on circumstantial evidence. Although there was no direct evidence linking Cindy to Ken’s death, a series of red flags led prosecutor Theresa Wetzsteon to pursue the case.
Notably, the house was unlocked on the night of the murder, which was unusual for Ken. Furthermore, his security system had been disabled days prior.
Cindy had previously attempted to convince Ken to sell some hunting land, but he had refused. Additionally, she had forged his signature on the life insurance policy to receive 75% of the payout.
Cindy had owned a shotgun before the murder, and a shotgun was used to kill Ken. However, her shotgun conveniently went missing after his death.
Cindy Schulz-Juedes on November 27, 2019, 13 years after Ken’s murder, with a $1 million bond.
The Sentence
On June 8, 2022, Judge Michael Moran sentenced Cindy Schulz-Juedes to life in prison, describing her actions following Ken’s death as “callous and unfeeling.”
At her sentencing, Cindy maintained her innocence.
A Fatal Prison Encounter
Cindy Schulz-Juedes served four years in prison before being killed by fellow inmate Taylor L. Sanchez, 27, who was serving a two-year sentence for battery charges.
Taylor had stopped taking her psychiatric medication, leading to a relapse of her symptoms, including hearing voices. She claimed that Cindy had used her toothbrush to scrub the toilet, which triggered the fatal altercation.
Cindy’s cause of death was head trauma, and fellow inmates reported hearing the scuffle.
Ken’s sister, Laurie, expressed her condolences to Cindy’s family and friends in a statement, saying, “Two deaths do not cancel each other out. They only double the pain.”
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He wanted to divorce her, so he hired people to kill her. Now he’s dead.