Friends of Brandy Schneider speak out over double murder-suicide investigation
By None
Brandy L. Schneider
By Ann Kagarise
The Suburbanite
Tue Dec 29, 2009, 11:55 AM EST
Jackson TWP, Ohio -
Jackson Police are investigating an apparent double murder-suicide that occurred Sunday.
Just before 8 a.m., Jackson police were called to 6686 Ravenwood Ave. N.W. Found were three adults at the Jackson Township duplex, dead from gunshot wounds. The victims have been identified as Brandy L. Schneider, 32, of the Ravenwood address., Derrick W. Busto, 29, of 1257 Bellflower Ave. N.W., Canton and Matthew Schneider, 30, of 805 Applegrove St. N.W.
Matthew’s brother, Lucas, called police, according to Jackson Police Chief Harley Neftzer.
The case is still under investigation, but it appears at this time, that Matthew Schneider shot his ex-wife, Brandy Schneider and Derrick Busto before turning the gun on himself.
Two guns, both used, were found at the scene, according to reports.
Friends speak out
Jennifer Brandon, Brandy’s longtime friend, knew her well.
“She was a great person and I’m not just saying that,” said Brandon. “She really was. She was her son’s life and he was hers. She was such a family person. She would do anything for them.”
Brandon said she was with Jennifer when the Schneider’s divorce was finalized.
“When the divorce was final, two weeks ago, he told her he was going to kill her,” Brandon said. “She knew he was going to do something to her.”
Brandon said she was afraid for her friend.
“I knew when I saw him in court,” said Brandon. “He looked so psychotic looking at the trial and he looked insane. I said, ‘Brandy, he is going to hurt you’ and she said, ‘Jennifer, I know but what can I do?’”
The system knows about all the threats.
“He had a great lawyer,” Brandon said. “The lawyer would make a deal and the judge allowed it. My friend is dead and she doesn’t have to be. She would say many times, ‘He is going to kill me. If they don’t put him in jail, he is going to kill me.’”
Troubled past
Matthew had a criminal history. He was on house arrest when he killed her and Busto.
“He was very abusive,” Brandon said. “He spent the first year of their son’s life in prison because he beat her severely. He beat her many times. He beat her when she was pregnant.”
He was not allowed off his house arrest when the incident occurred, Brandon pointed out. “He did not have permission to be at her house that early in the morning.”
Matthew was also a convicted sexual predator.
“He was convicted for having sexual relations with a 15-year-old neighbor girl,” Brandon said. “He pled guilty. He got probation. He violated his probations. Instead of putting him in jail, they let him out and now Brandy is dead.”
This was not the first time Matthew broke into her apartment, said Brandon.
“One day, Brandy found him in her son’s room,” she said. “He had to have been there three hours. She opened the door and there he was. She didn’t even know he was there.”
Rachel Livengood, friend and neighbor of Brandy, was afraid for her kids. “I have been afraid of having my kids play in the front yard because of Matt.”
Matthew was not permitted to have guns, but he had them said Brandon.
“He had guns on him when he broke his probation,” said Brandon. “They still just put him on house arrest. Brandy knew he had guns. She told them he had guns.”
Brandon said Matt was behind on child support, but Brandy never gave up on him.
“She just wanted him to be the husband and father she thought he could be.”
She wanted to get away, but Matthew had supervised visitations with their son every Sunday, said Brandon.
Matthew’s mother was estranged from her son, according to Brandon.
“She did not agree with what he was doing and how he was treating his son.”
Brandon said Matthew worked for a cable company and he was concerned that a sexual predator was allowed in homes to work.
“Brandy was a straight-A student at school and sang in the church choir,” Brandon said, describing her friend. “She was like a goodie-goodie. I would tease her.”
Brandy had been a loan officer with Quicken Loans and U.S. Bank, but recently she had taken a job with E.B. Display to be closer to home to get her son off the bus, said Brandon.
Matthew had recently been sending her texts informing her that he would kill himself, said Brandy’s friends.
She was dating the other victim at the house, Busto. Brandon had met him a couple of times. He recently had attended Brandy’s son’s Christmas play.
“She was so happy,” Brandon said. “This was the happiest I had seen her in six years. She was happy because she had a new boyfriend. That was a huge issue for Matt. He didn’t want to see her happy. He would rather see her buried than happy.”
Brandon said Matthew made harassing phone calls and manipulations with police getting involved.
Matthew is a 1998 graduate of McKinley. Brandy is a 1995 McKinley graduate. She is the mother of two boys.
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