The Murder Tapes on ID: Where was Wilma Schwartz's dead body found?

Wilma Schwartz, a mother-of-one from Fort Wayne, Indiana, went missing sometime in March 2016. Construction workers found her dead body in the yard of an abandoned Antwerp home a few days later. She died of a gunshot wound to the head and was likely shot elsewhere before her body was dumped at the site.

During the investigation, Wilma's abandoned car was found in a Markle parking lot. Inside the vehicle, they found blood evidence and spent shell casings. Eventually, using surveillance footage, her boyfriend, Daniel Zerbe, and a woman named Kisa King were implicated in the crime. Other evidence, such as phone records and the alleged murder weapon, were also found. Daniel later pleaded guilty in the case.

The Murder Tapes on ID is scheduled to revisit Wilma Schwartz's murder case in an episode titled Body in the Yard. The official synopsis of the episode states:

"When workers find a body on an abandoned property in western Ohio, it opens up a homicide investigation that sends shockwaves through the Amish community."

The upcoming episode airs on the channel this Thursday, August 17, 2023, at 7 pm ET.

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Wilma Schwartz's body was found in an abandoned Antwerp house within a week after she was reported missing

According to The Cinemaholic, 44-year-old Wilma Schwartz shared a son, Benjamin, with her then-boyfriend Daniel Zerbe. But one day, she failed to pick up her son from school and was later reported missing by her neighbor on March 9, 2016.

Construction workers found Wilma's dead body in the yard of an abandoned Antwerp house sometime after 10.30 am on March 14. Officers who arrived at the scene discovered that she died of a gunshot wound to the head and that she had been shot through her fingers. They believed she was murdered elsewhere before her body was dumped at the site.

Afterward, the wound on the victim's hand was declared a defensive injury. A 9mm bullet stuck between her clothing, and the back of her neck was confirmed to be the bullet that killed her.

Soon after detectives started investigating the murder, shocking information surfaced about Wilma's life, including her tumultuous relationship with Daniel Zerbe and the latter's criminal background. The Cinemaholic reported that Daniel was once arrested on meth-related charges.

Two days after discovering Wilma's body, police found her abandoned car in a parking lot in Markle, Indiana. Inside the vehicle, they found red stains, seemingly blood, on the passenger seat, along with a pair of blood-stained gloves and a spent shell casing.

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Who were the suspects in Wilma Schwartz's murder case?

Wilma Schwartz (Image via National Gun Violence Memorial)

Detectives made a breakthrough when they found surveillance footage showing Wilma Schwartz's boyfriend, Daniel Zerbe, accompanied by a woman, later identified as Lisa King, abandoning her car in the parking lot. From there, the two were picked up by Daniel's brother, LeRoy, who claimed he dropped them off at a hotel in Auburn.

Other sightings of Daniel included him buying cleaning supplies at a local store. Following these revelations, detectives suspected that Daniel fatally shot Wilma in the car before dumping her body in Antwerp. They believed he tried to clear the vehicle of all evidence before abandoning it at the parking lot.

Daniel was arrested on unrelated charges after a 9mm handgun was found in his possession. Ballistics confirmed that this was the same weapon used to murder Wilma. Other evidence included phone records of a cell phone found in the car, which showed that it last pinged on March 9 close to the area where Wilma's body was found.

Lisa King, who was seen with Daniel, later cooperated with detectives, and in exchange, the charges of tampering with evidence against her were dropped. Daniel eventually pleaded guilty to Wilma's murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

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Learn more about Wilma Schwartz's death on ID's The Murder Tapes this Thursday.