Suvechha Sarkar
The morning of May 28, 2014, began like any other day for Dr. Steven Patlin Schwartz. No one could have imagined that the 74-year-old would be found dead in his home in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The untimely demise of the renowned doctor and beloved father left his loved ones completely grief-stricken. CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Strange Life of Dr. Schwartz’ and NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Death of Schwartz’ shed light on the complex web of relationships, financial matters, and secrets surrounding his murder. It also features interviews with his son, friends, and some of the officials involved in the case.
Dr. Steven Schwartz Rebuilt His Life After a Dark Past as a Kidney Specialist
Steven Patlin Schwartz arrived as a bundle of joy in the lives of his parents sometime in 1940. He was born in Grand Junction, Colorado, but later grew up surrounded by the immense love and support of his parents in Hurleyville, New York. He also maintained a close bond with his brothers, Mike, Jim, and Dennis. According to his friend, Phillip Dyer, Steven grew up to be an intelligent individual. Phillip stated that things took a turn by 1961, as Steven had dropped out of college and reportedly robbed a dentist, Dr. Victor Cook, in New Mexico. In the heat of the moment, Steven shot him dead and was sentenced to 9 years in prison. According to reports, Steven’s sentence was eventually commuted. After he was released from prison, he decided to give back to society and atone for his mistakes.
So, Steven proceeded to pursue medical studies at the University of Torino in Turin, Italy. After graduation, he went on to complete his residency at the Methodist Hospital in New York. Moreover, during his studies at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, he successfully attained the Nephrology Fellowship. Ultimately, Dr. Steven obtained his certification in Nephrology and Internal Medicine. By 1985, he had opened his own practice, Main Street Medical, in partnership with Dr. Robert Patton in Tampa, Florida. Eventually, Steven seemed to have met the love of his life, and he soon tied the knot. His life lit up with joy as he welcomed his children, Kelly, Casey, and Carter, into the world. Unfortunately, his marriage didn’t work out, and he and his partner parted ways.
Dr. Steven Schwartz’s Remains Were Discovered By a Police Dog in His Garage
In the late 90s, Steven crossed paths with Rebecca Schwartz, AKA Becky, who had two children from her previous marriage — Eric Reynolds and Benjamin Nichols, AKA Ben. After years of dating, they finally got married in 2010. Steven began investing in real estate and had several rental properties. Becky reportedly helped him manage those investments and his medical office. Together, the family lived in their lavish residence in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Although he seemed to be living a perfect life, everything turned upside down on the evening of May 28, 2014. Becky had gone out, but when she returned home, she found that the house was in disarray. Becky promptly called 911 to report that her house had been allegedly robbed.
When detectives rushed to the scene, they found the house in a state of complete disarray. According to reports, the police dog took 10 minutes to discover the remains of Steven in the garage. Officials found him dead, lying in a pool of blood. He had gunshot wounds to the head and multiple stab wounds to the head and neck. Furthermore, they noted that there were signs consistent with strangulation. Apart from that, detectives discovered that money and jewelry were missing from Becky’s bedroom. Steven’s clothing was collected as evidence to identify potential DNA from the killer. His cause of death was determined to be the fatal gunshot and stab wounds, with the manner of death being ruled as homicide.
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DNA Evidence and Financial Motives Uncovered the Truth in Criminal and Civil Proceedings
At the beginning of the investigation, the officials dug deeper into Steven’s inner circle. According to police records, his son, Carter, expressed suspicions about Becky, claiming that she was allegedly moving Steven’s money from their joint account to her personal accounts. Furthermore, he reportedly informed them about Becky’s son, Ben, who had a history of drug abuse and was also convicted of stealing jewelry from Steven’s home in 2011. Official reports state that Carter emphasized how Becky was spending Steven’s money on her lifestyle and on her sons. Detectives soon learned from one of the employees at Steven’s medical practice that she had allegedly been embezzling money from the business. It was also uncovered that Steven left all his estate to Becky without providing anything for his own children.
Additionally, investigators discovered that Becky had a felony conviction for embezzling money from the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) initiative. However, they found no physical evidence tying her to the scene. The authorities next focused on Anton Stragaj, also known as Leo, who was the longtime contractor and employee of Steven. According to court records, Carter alleged that Leo might have planned the murder with Becky. Forensic experts soon discovered that the DNA found on Steven’s clothing at the scene matched that of Leo. During questioning, he admitted to having entered Steven’s home after the murder. As per investigative reports, he claimed that when he found Steven in the garage, he had touched him, which was allegedly the reason why his DNA was there. Leo claimed that he didn’t call 911 because he was allegedly scared of getting deported.
Leo continued insisting that he didn’t murder Steven. Although he reportedly provided the officials with an alibi, they found it contradicted his accounts upon further inspection. Leo was arrested on March 31, 2015, and charged with first-degree murder. On August 5, 2021, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of accessory after the fact and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. On the other hand, Steven’s children filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against their stepmother, Becky, on May 25, 2016. The civil trial began in February 2025 and concluded the following month. According to court records, the jury found Becky to be civilly liable for Steven’s death. Reports state that the jury awarded Steven’s children approximately $200 million. However, it is essential to note that Becky has never been criminally charged for Steven’s murder.
