A 76-year-old man, Roland Schmidt, of Stillman Valley, Illinois, is in custody following the alleged shooting and killing of his daughter-in-law, Christine Moyer, 45, of Galena, Ohio, outside a family wedding at the Chicago Marriott Schaumburg on Friday, July 25, 2025. Authorities state the motive stemmed from Schmidt’s distress over Moyer’s recent filing for divorce from his son, Michael Schmidt.
The incident occurred around 10:15 p.m. in the parking lot of the Marriott Hotel at 50 North Martingale Road, Schaumburg. Schaumburg police responded to reports of a shooting and found Moyer near the hotel’s front entrance with a single gunshot wound to the head. She was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where she was pronounced dead at 11:04 p.m. A firearm was recovered at the scene.
According to prosecutors, Schmidt, Moyer, her husband Michael, Schmidt’s ex-wife, and other family members attended the wedding of Schmidt’s nephew, an adults-only event held at the Marriott. Moyer and Michael, married for 16 years with two children, had left their children with a babysitter. Court records indicate Moyer filed for divorce on July 8, 2025, and a mutual restraining order was in place between her and Michael. Schmidt learned of the divorce filing from his son two days later, on July 10. Despite the family sitting together at the wedding, no arguments or discussions about the divorce occurred during the event.
As the family left the reception around 10:12 p.m., Moyer was walking with her sister-in-law, discussing parking arrangements, when Schmidt allegedly accelerated his pace, approached Moyer from behind, and shot her in the back of the head in what prosecutors described as an “execution-style” killing. Moyer’s husband witnessed her collapse and attempted to aid her, while Schmidt’s daughter and her husband, along with an unrelated bystander and an off-duty police officer, intervened to disarm and restrain Schmidt until police arrived.
Prosecutors revealed Schmidt had planned the shooting for at least a week and intended to take his own life afterward. He admitted to authorities that his actions were premeditated, driven by his upset over Moyer’s divorce filing. Schmidt, who had been divorced from his own wife since 1999 in a contentious split, reportedly had a strained relationship with his ex-wife and adult children and lived alone. His Firearm Owners Identification Card had expired in 2023.
At a detention hearing on Monday, July 28, 2025, at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse, Cook County Judge Ellen Mandeltort ordered Schmidt held without bail, citing the danger he posed to the community and his family. “He executed her in the presence of her own family,” Mandeltort stated. Schmidt’s public defender argued for his release, citing his age and health issues, noting he used a cane, but the judge deemed him a threat. Schmidt faces a first-degree murder charge and is scheduled to appear in court again on August 22, 2025.
Moyer, described by prosecutors as “a person loved by all,” leaves behind two children. Attendees at the court hearing who knew Schmidt declined to comment, offering only, “Pray for her children.” The tragedy has left a lasting impact on the family and community, with the case continuing to unfold as legal proceedings progress.
