Suvechha Sarkar
Dr. Steven Patlin Schwartz was at his home in Tarpon Springs, Florida, when he was brutally killed on May 28, 2014. What initially seemed to be a home invasion unraveled into a web of greed and deceit. CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Strange Life of Dr. Schwartz’ delves deeper into the investigation of the case and how DNA evidence helped authorities to link Steven’s death with his long-time contractor, Anton Stragaj, also known as Leo. It also features interviews with Steven’s loved ones, officials who worked on the case, and Leo himself, presenting his side of the story.
A DNA Match Put Leo Stragaj Under the Scrutiny of the Investigators
Anton Stragaj, who was also known as Leo, hailed from Albania. He had been working in the US as a construction contractor and was employed by Dr. Steven Patlin Schwartz’s second wife, Rebecca Schwartz, AKA Becky, to work on their first house. Following that, Leo became the designated contractor for Steven. He worked for the doctor’s rental homes regularly and earned around $100,000 a year. Unfortunately, on May 28, 2014, Dr. Steven Schwartz was found dead in his residence in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
Initially, detectives found the house in disarray and considered the possibility of a robbery. However, when they questioned Steven’s son, Carter Schwartz, he informed them about his suspicion that Becky had something to do with the crime. According to reports, Carter also told the officials that he suspected Becky and Leo might’ve allegedly planned the murder. Court records specify that investigators had recovered DNA from the clothing Steven was wearing at the scene. When the DNA was compared to Leo’s, it reportedly turned out to be a match.
After Leo was brought in for questioning, he claimed that his DNA was on Steven’s clothes because he had visited the doctor’s home that morning. In his statements, he claimed that when he discovered Steven in a pool of blood, he tried to check if he was okay and allegedly transferred the DNA. Furthermore, Leo alleged that he went there because Becky had sent him that morning to retrieve her bag, which she claimed she had forgotten at the house. As per police records, Leo didn’t call the authorities because he was afraid he would be deported. Throughout the interrogation, Leo reportedly denied having any involvement in the murder.
Discrepancies in Leo Stragaj’s Alibi and Missing Hard Drive Led to His Arrest
Investigative reports state that Leo provided an alibi to the detectives that he was not present at the scene during the time of the murder. However, when they cross-checked his accounts with his cell-phone tower data and other records, it reportedly didn’t match his statements. Additionally, they discovered that Steven had a surveillance system set up in his home, but its hard drive was missing. They reportedly learned that Leo was aware of this and knew how to remove the hard drive. Ultimately, on March 31, 2015, Leo was arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of Steven.
Initially, he didn’t indicate that Becky had any role in the murder. That changed after Leo himself was accused. According to official reports, he claimed that Becky had asked him to find someone to kill Steven around six months before the murder. In his statements, Leo claimed that on May 28, when he went to Steven’s house to retrieve Becky’s bag, he allegedly saw a kitchen knife inside it. Leo also alleged that Becky had threatened him about withholding around $75,000 of his investments in real estate that he had done alongside her. Reports state that Leo insisted he was framed for the murder.
Although Becky was never criminally charged for the crime, the detectives reportedly considered her a suspect. It was due to reasons such as her past conviction for embezzling money and Carter’s claims that she had allegedly been transferring funds from her and Steven’s joint accounts to her personal accounts. Investigators had also noticed that she moved to Wisconsin after the murder and spent several million dollars of Steven’s fortune. Eventually, on May 25, 2016, Steven’s children filed a civil lawsuit for wrongful death against Becky.
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Leo Stragaj Was Deported to Albania After Serving His Sentence
Rather than going to a jury trial for the first-degree murder charge, Leo accepted a plea agreement. According to that, he reportedly pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of one count of accessory after the fact for the death of Steven on August 4, 2021. Right after, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. According to court records, he was released from prison in September 2022. It was because by the time of his 2021 plea, he had already been in custody for several years. After completing his sentence, Leo was reportedly deported to Albania. As of writing, he appears to be living a quiet life away from the spotlight. On the other hand, the civil jury trial of Becky commenced in February 2025, and by March, she was found responsible for Steven’s death. The court reportedly ordered Becky to pay approximately $200 million to Steven’s children.
