Episode 300

Summary

Podcast Summary: Sword and Scale - Episode 300: The Tragic Tale of Corinne Gump

Introduction

In Episode 300 of Sword and Scale, released on June 14, 2025, the podcast delves into a heart-wrenching true crime case from Youngstown, Ohio. This milestone episode meticulously recounts the events leading to the tragic deaths of 10-year-old Corinne Gump and her grandparents, Bill and Judy Schmidt, highlighting systemic failures and the devastating impact of abuse and neglect.

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Incident Overview

At approximately 3:30 AM on March 30, 2015, the peaceful residential street of Powers Way in Youngstown was shattered by a massive explosion and ensuing fire. Firefighters responded to the distress call, only to discover the charred remains of the Schmidt family and young Corinne.

• Notable Quote ([05:02] 911 Dispatcher):

  "Jack's 911, there's a fire on Powers. Lay right past Point Pizza. The house is going up real good."

The Victims

• Bill and Judy Schmidt were a loving couple, both deaf, who led active and fulfilling lives. Bill was known as the local "Grill Master," while Judy was cherished as a maternal figure among her friends.

• Corrinne Gump, their 10-year-old granddaughter, had been living with her grandparents following her mother's struggles with her abusive boyfriend, Robert Seaman Jr.

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Perpetrator: Robert Seaman Jr.

Robert Seaman Jr., a 46-year-old assembly line worker at General Motors, was the boyfriend of Lynn Schmidt, Corrinne's mother. Seaman was accused of sexually assaulting Corrinne from ages 4 to 9, a trauma that ultimately led to his arrest and pending trial.

• Notable Quote ([20:05] Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa):

  "What he did to Corin was depraved. Evil and disgusting."

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The Investigation

The investigation into the arson revealed Robert Seaman Jr. as the prime suspect, primarily due to the following evidence:

1. Escape from Monitoring: Despite being under house arrest with a GPS-enabled ankle monitor, Seaman managed to bypass his restrictions. Surveillance footage from Walgreens showed him purchasing makeup on the morning of the fire—intended to conceal burns from the explosion.

   • Notable Quote ([14:45] 911 Dispatcher):

     "He's pretty husky. Bald. White. About 38 to 40 years old."

2. Modus Operandi: Seaman allegedly soaked the house with gasoline, ignited it, and fled, ensuring that his actions led to the deaths of his victim and innocent bystanders.

   • Notable Quote ([10:55] Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa):

     "We believe he went in with those gas cans and went to the landing of the basement stairs."

3. DNA Evidence: DNA matching Seaman was found on the plastic gloves stuffed into the gasoline canisters, cementing his link to the crime.

   • Notable Quote ([61:02] Host):

     "The DNA found on the plastic gloves... was a perfect match for Robert Seaman."

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Motive and Possible Conspiracy

While Seaman had clear motives tied to evading justice for his sexual assaults, suspicions arose regarding Lynn Schmidt's potential involvement, driven by possible financial gains from her father's life insurance.

• Notable Quote ([48:13] Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa):

  "When Bill and Judy Schmidt had died, they had a life insurance policy listing Lynn as a beneficiary."

Despite these suspicions, insufficient evidence prevented any charges against Lynn, leaving questions unanswered.

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Trial and Seaman’s Death

As the trial loomed, sealing justice, Robert Seaman Jr. orchestrated a final act to evade accountability. Just days before proceedings were set to begin, Seaman died by suicide by jumping from the courthouse balcony.

• Notable Quote ([58:08] 911 Dispatcher):

  "At approximately 9:40 this morning, Robert Seaman was having a final pre-trial hearing... He basically took a leap off of the fourth floor."

This act halted the trial, leaving Seaman officially innocent in the eyes of the law despite overwhelming evidence of his guilt.

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Conclusions and Insights

Episode 300 underscores multiple systemic failures:

1. Bail System Flaws: Seaman's ability to post bail and subsequently escape monitoring highlighted vulnerabilities within the judicial system.

2. Monitoring Company Negligence: Breaking Point, the company responsible for Seaman's ankle monitor, failed to report his unauthorized outings, further enabling his escape.

   • Notable Quote ([54:15] Host):

     "The company in particular... had racked up nearly as many felonies and fraud convictions as P. Diddy has."

3. Parental Neglect: Lynn Schmidt's decision to remain with Seaman, despite his abuse of her daughter, played a pivotal role in the tragic events.

   • Notable Quote ([62:04] Host):

     "The innocent child named Corinne Gump died in 2015... we never got Corrine's story out to the world."

Final Thoughts:

The episode poignantly emphasizes the paramount responsibility of parents in safeguarding their children, the dire consequences of systemic negligence, and the tragic loss of a young life that could have been prevented.

• Notable Quote ([62:42] Host):

  "All parents have a responsibility to protect their children... Only you can do that."

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Call to Action

Throughout the episode, Sword and Scale includes public service announcements urging listeners to combat teen vaping by supporting Senate Bill 702A, demonstrating the podcast's commitment to addressing societal issues beyond storytelling.

• Notable Quote ([00:00] Teen Advocate):

  "Addiction to nicotine sets us up for a lifetime of health problems... Urge lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 702A."

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Conclusion

Episode 300 of Sword and Scale serves as a sobering reminder of the fragility of life and the profound impacts of abuse, neglect, and systemic failures. Through meticulous storytelling and the inclusion of raw, unfiltered evidence, the podcast honors Corinne Gump's memory while calling for meaningful changes to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Transcript

[Teen Advocate]

Use of flavored tobacco by teens is a crisis. Tobacco companies use flavors like cotton candy, watermelon ice and cool mint to hook kids like me. They seem harmless, but they aren't. Addiction to nicotine sets us up for a lifetime of health problems. Organ legislators can do something about it. Passing Senate Bill 702A will keep flavored tobacco away from kids. But there are just a few short weeks left for lawmakers to act. Take action to protect kids like me at flavors. Hookoregonkids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids action fund. Nearly 90% of kids who vape say flavors are why they do it. If there weren't flavors in these tobacco products, a lot of kids wouldn't get as hooked. Urge lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 702A. Learn more at flavorshookoreegoids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund.

[Podcast Host]

Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

[Teen Advocate]

Yes. Yes, sir. Did anybody report a house on fire on powers away?

[911 Dispatcher]

They did, ma' am, and they're on their way. Okay. Do you know if anyone got out? Everyone got out, or you don't know?

[Teen Advocate]

I don't know.

[911 Dispatcher]

I don't think they did.

[Podcast Host]

It's episode 303, Hyundai. Are you picturing a battalion of 300 greased up Roman warriors and loincloths violently charging the Persian army's front line? Swords erect. It's just me. Sorry to disappoint. That was gayer than true crime obsessed. And no, Karen, that's not a slur, it's literal. Jesus, this PC culture has to die already. Anyway, welcome to the meaningless callout of a number that doesn't really matter and affects nothing at all. This is our 300th episode of Sword and Scale. Still don't know why you people listen to tragedy for entertainment, but here we are. Enjoy.

[Teen Advocate]

Use of flavored tobacco by teens is a crisis. Tobacco companies use flavors like cotton candy, watermelon ice and cool mint to hook kids like me. They seem harmless, but they aren't. Addiction to nicotine sets us up for a lifetime of health problems. Oregon legislators can do something about it. Passing Senate Bill 702A will keep flavored tobacco away from kids. But there are just a few short weeks left for lawmakers to act. Take action to protect kids like me@ flavors. Hookoregankids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids action fund.

[Podcast Host]

About 75 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio, one of my favorite places near the eastern edge of a place called Youngstown lies a quiet residential street called Powers Way. On most days, this street is as ordinary as any suburban road. Lawns are mowed, families are gathering for backyard barbecues, and kids are zipping up and down the street on their bikes. It's a typical middle class American neighborhood. Picturesque, something out of the Hallmark channel. A peaceful place where crime rarely makes an appearance. But in the early hours of March 30, 2015, at around 3:30am to be precise, something jolted the entire neighborhood awake. It shattered the usual calm. And this something was far from typical. The something was criminal.

[911 Dispatcher]

I live on Powers Way. One of the houses, two houses down blew off.

[Teen Advocate]

I don't know if anybody's outside.

[911 Dispatcher]

I'm right by it right now. I don't. I don't know if they're outside.

[Teen Advocate]

Okay, we'll send them out. Okay. But somebody does live there.

[911 Dispatcher]

Yeah, somebody doesn't live there.

[Teen Advocate]

Okay, I got the people right next.

[911 Dispatcher]

Door out of the house.

[Teen Advocate]

All right, we'll send them out.

[Podcast Host]

A massive explosion ripped through the night, shaking the entire neighborhood. Residents of Powers Way sprang up from their beds, quickly realizing that a nearby two story house was engulfed in flames.

[911 Dispatcher]

Jack's 911, there's a fire on Powers. Lay right past Point Pizza. The house is going up real good.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Is it an occupied structure?

[911 Dispatcher]

Yeah, there's a house in the burn and there's 10 people running out the main out. Ma' am, I'm across the street. I see everybody running. Okay, it's right on Powers Way. Right here by.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Yeah, we headed down.

[Teen Advocate]

Okay.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

In the 3600 block.

[911 Dispatcher]

Yep.

[Teen Advocate]

All right, I'm gonna check this little screen.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Okay.

[Podcast Host]

The fire raged out of control and onlookers quickly understood the grim reality. If anyone was still inside, I mean, their chances of survival were next to none.

[Teen Advocate]

The Youngstown 911.

[911 Dispatcher]

Yes, we have an explosion over here.

[Teen Advocate]

Yeah, we got fire trucks on the way. Do you know if anybody's still in the house?

[911 Dispatcher]

Oh, my God.

[Teen Advocate]

Hello?

[911 Dispatcher]

Pardon?

[Teen Advocate]

I don't know. You don't know? Okay, we have fire trucks on the way. Okay, did you see anybody leaving there?

[911 Dispatcher]

Please hurry. This place is.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Oh, my God.

[Teen Advocate]

Okay, the trucks are on the way. Did you see anybody leaving the area?

[911 Dispatcher]

No, I just got off work. I didn't see anybody.

[Podcast Host]

Phone calls flooded the 911 dispatch center. And it wasn't long before dispatchers learned a troubling detail about the two homeowners. They both had a disability.

[911 Dispatcher]

911, what is your emergency?

[Teen Advocate]

My neighbor's house is on fire and they're deaf. Pardon me?

[911 Dispatcher]

The neighbor's house is on fire and what?

[Teen Advocate]

And they're deaf and they're deaf?

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Yes.

[911 Dispatcher]

Okay. They're on their way. Are they home? Do you know if they're home?

[Teen Advocate]

I don't know. Nobody's outside. But it's a big fire and there's an explosion. I mean, our windows exploded on our house.

[Podcast Host]

The homeowners were deaf. And for the neighbors who knew them well, what they were witnessing was both unimaginable and heartbreaking.

[Teen Advocate]

Oh, my God. The first run away. Do you know if the people got out of the house?

[Podcast Host]

I don't know if they were home.

[Teen Advocate]

But they are both dead in the house and police office. Okay. The trucks are on the way. Did you see anybody leaving the area?

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

I didn't see them.

[Teen Advocate]

I didn't see them.

[Podcast Host]

I'm at the car.

[Teen Advocate]

Okay. The fire trucks and the ambulances are on the way. Okay, thank you.

[Podcast Host]

When firefighters arrived on scene, they immediately began fighting the flames. Soon after, several police officers arrived as well and began working to identify the homeowners. They did this by running the license plates on the cars parked in the driveway.

[Teen Advocate]

All vehicles are coming back to William E. Schmidt. William E. Schmidt, 3631 Powers Way.

[Podcast Host]

The police confirmed that the home belonged to 63 year old Bill Schmidt and his wife, 60 year old Judy Schmidt. The couple married in 1974, the year of my birth. God, I'm old. And by all accounts, it was a loving marriage. Bill and Judy were the perfect match and nobody ever doubted that they would be together forever. Despite being deaf, both Bill and Judy led full and active lives. Bill was an outdoorsman who spent time hunting and fishing. He also enjoyed road trips on his Harley Davidson and was known locally as the Grill Master. That's a cool title. When Bill fired up his barbecue pit, anyone lucky enough to be in the vicinity knew that they were about to enjoy one hell of a meal. As for Judy, she was a typical quilt maker who loved board games. She was especially social and had a wide circle of friends. Known for her warmth, Judy had a maternal touch that led many friends, young and old, to think of her as a second mom. With the homeowners identified, police ran a background check on an address, looking for any recent reports of incidents at the property. And as it turned out, there had been a few.

[911 Dispatcher]

See if we have any call history there.

[Podcast Host]

We do.

[Teen Advocate]

The last call was in February and it was a 31 year old daughter that was missing since September.

[911 Dispatcher]

Okay.

[Teen Advocate]

And then before that the next call was in September of 2014. That's about the daughter menacing her parents.

[911 Dispatcher]

About the daughter managing the parents, Yep.

[Podcast Host]

Bill and Judy had three adult children, two of whom were also deaf. What are the chances? Their third child, 31 year old Lynn Schmidt, was not. Police reports indicated that there had been ongoing issues with Lynn. Allegedly, she had harassed her parents. And then a few months later, she disappeared, prompting Bill and Judy to report her missing. As police gathered all this info, firefighters pressed on working to fully extinguish the blaze. As they made their way through the charred home, they uncovered something that brought an Ohio prosecutor into the investigation.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

So my name is dawn cantalamesa, and in 2015, I was chief trial counsel for the Mahoning County Prosecutor's office. On Monday, March 30, 2015, at approximately 3:36am The Youngstown 911 center received a call for a residential fire at 3631 Powers Way in the city of Youngstown in Ohio. The Youngstown Fire Department, while attempting to extinguish the fire, discovered the bodies of two adults in the house.

[Podcast Host]

Inside the home, firefighters discovered the bodies of Bill and Judy Schmidt. The couple was found dead in their bedroom. Right away, firefighters suspected foul play. It was clear this fire was no accident. Bill and Judy were victims of arson.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

So it didn't take long for the Youngstown Fire Department to determine it was arson. Fire. They're pretty astute at determining whether something's accidental or arson. And in this case, all the firefighters described as smelling the scent of gasoline upon entering the fire. And they knew right away that this was an arson.

[Podcast Host]

The firefighters smelled the unmistakable scent of gasoline. Then they spotted the two gas cans tucked just out of sight near the back of the house. One had a plastic glove jammed into its neck. Whoever did this had soaked the inside of the house, drenching the walls and floors with gas while Bill and Judy lay sleeping. What a monster. Then, after flicking a flame, the killer fled, leaving behind burning, destruction and death. Later that morning, the arson investigation led detectives to a nearby Walgreens. Strangely, one of their leads involved the purchase of some makeup.

[911 Dispatcher]

And where do you work?

[Teen Advocate]

At Walgreens.

[911 Dispatcher]

And which store?

[Teen Advocate]

The Austin Town Store.

[911 Dispatcher]

And at one time was that store a 24 hour store?

[Teen Advocate]

Yes.

[911 Dispatcher]

I'm going to ask you about a gentleman that came in to buy some makeup. Can you tell me about this?

[Teen Advocate]

It was early in the morning and it was just me and Michael because we were the overnight shift. And he told me that a guy needed some help putting on some makeup over in aisle one. I walk over there, and he told me that he had a jury thing to go to this morning. And that night he took out his trash and something exploded in his trash, which is why his face was all burned. So he wanted some stuff to kind of COVID it up because he. He didn't want to look like a freak to the other jurors, is what he said. After we picked out, like, the foundation, he wanted something for his eyebrows because they had burned off. So he wanted to know if there was, like, an eyebrow pencil.

[Podcast Host]

This Walgreens employee recalled a man who had come into her store that morning asking about makeup. Something about him seemed off. He was dressed in a suit, but he wore a baseball cap pulled low over his face. A strange combination. Maybe something you would see on SportsCenter, but not a typical ensemble, you know, especially at Walgreens. The man nervously explained that he had jury duty in a few hours. He needed makeup to cover up the bright red flash burns on his face. He also asked for eyebrow pencils, as his own eyebrows had been burned clean off. Yes, I know this story sounds familiar, but believe it or not, it's not the same story we told a few weeks ago. Apparently, there's a lot of idiots out there starting fires. Anyway, this idiot's story was that he had some garbage that blew up in his face. So his trash exploded?

[Teen Advocate]

That's what he said, yeah.

[911 Dispatcher]

Did he say where this trash was?

[Teen Advocate]

He said at his house.

[911 Dispatcher]

Okay, so you see this guy? What does he look like?

[Teen Advocate]

Well, he's not much taller than me. He's probably about maybe 4 inches taller than I am, so maybe like 5, 8, 5, 9.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Okay.

[Teen Advocate]

He's pretty husky.

[Podcast Host]

Bald.

[911 Dispatcher]

Was he a white guy? Black guy? Hispanic male?

[Podcast Host]

White? Yeah.

[911 Dispatcher]

How old would you say he was?

[Teen Advocate]

I'd probably say maybe 38 to 40.

[911 Dispatcher]

Do you remember what makeup that he bought?

[Teen Advocate]

Yeah, he bought. I talked him into a Maybelline BB cream, because that's what I use.

[911 Dispatcher]

Okay.

[Teen Advocate]

And then he bought Maybelline brow pencils. I know those two for sure.

[Podcast Host]

Very early in the investigation, detectives found themselves with two solid leads. The strange man buying makeup at Walgreens and the mysterious absence of Bill and Judy's daughter, Lynn Schmidt. But as the case unfolded, they would discover everything. Every motive and every twisted, sordid, disgusting detail centered around an unlikely person. A 10 year old named Corin. Guys.

[Teen Advocate]

Nearly 90% of kids who vape say flavors are why they do it. A lot of the flavors that I've heard are like peach Mango watermelon. It makes it seem like more childlike and innocent. Oh, if I try this once, it won't be that much of a problem. But then eventually it becomes a problem. It's time to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products in Oregon and protect our kids from nick nicotine addiction. Urge lawmakers to Pass Senate Bill 702A. Take action at flavorshookoregonkids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids action fund. Nearly 90% of kids who vape say flavors are why they do it. If there weren't flavors in these tobacco products, a lot of kids wouldn't get as hooked. Urge lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 702A. Learn more at flavorshookoreeankids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund.

[Podcast Host]

On the morning of March 30, 2015, a Youngstown, Ohio home exploded into a raging inferno. Firefighters successfully extinguished the flames and found that the homeowners, 63 year old Bill Schmidt and his wife, 60 year old Judy Schmidt, were dead. The married couple had been murdered. They were victims of arson. This double homicide sent detectives on a long, winding road. Eventually, that path led them to a 10 year old girl. Her name was Corinne Gump.

[Teen Advocate]

So can you give me your name? Corinne. Okay. What's your last name? Gump. When is your birthday? January 31st. Okay. And how old are you? Nine years old. Nine. Okay. So what schools do you go to? South Range. You go to South Range. What grade are you in? Third. Third grade. Do you like third grade? Mm. What's your favorite subject? Reading. Reading. Do you read at home? Sometimes. See? What kind of books do you read? Bad Kitty Princess books. Animal books.

[Podcast Host]

At the time of this interview, Corinne was living with her grandparents, but for much of her life, she had lived with her mom, her younger half sister, and her mom's boyfriend.

[Teen Advocate]

Okay. Who did you used to live before? My mom, Ava. Me and then my mom's boyfriend. Okay. What's his name? Junior. Junior. Is that his real name or does he have a different name? Well, his real name is Robert. Robert. Okay. Do you know how old you were when you moved into his house? Maybe four or five. Okay. That's when you moved in. Okay.

[Podcast Host]

Corinne's Mom's boyfriend was 46 year old Robert Andrew Seaman Jr. He was mostly known by the nickname Junior Robert or Bob or Junior, whatever you want to call this guy, earned a steady and more than decent income by working on an assembly line at General Motors.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Robert Seaman was working at a factory a Local factory. We believe it was GM at the time. And he was living in Canfield with his girlfriend, his biological daughter, and then his girlfriend's daughter from a previous marriage.

[Podcast Host]

Robert's girlfriend's daughter was Corrin Gump, the 10 year old. And according to Corinne, Robert didn't keep his hands or penis to himself. Fair warning. We're about to get into some pretty graphic stuff involving children and sexual assault. And I know that a lot of you subscribe to true crime podcasts and for some reason can't hear that kind of stuff. Well, you might want to turn it off and go listen to some crime junkie instead. If you can't stomach this sort of thing, then sword and scale may not be for you. Anyway, that's enough warning because we already have the trigger warning labels on every episode and all that. So if you need more than that. I don't know what to tell you. Here we go.

[Teen Advocate]

What is it that happened with Junior? He raped me. All right, so when you said that Junior touched. That Junior raped you, what do you mean by that? What did he do? Well, he made me suck his private.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Okay.

[Teen Advocate]

And he did it to me. Okay, when he. When he made you suck his private. Where did this happen at? In the living room, in the bedroom. Their bedroom, or upstairs in my room. Okay. Do you remember what age this started at? 4 or 5. 4 or 5. Okay.

[Podcast Host]

In March of 2014, when Corinne was just nine years old, she sat in the police interview room. She used crayons to color on paper, and she described how her mom's boyfriend, Robert Seaman Jr. Repeatedly sexually assaulted her for years.

[Teen Advocate]

Did he. So he did put his penis in your mouth? Mm.

[911 Dispatcher]

Okay.

[Teen Advocate]

And what. What would happen? He would try to pee in my mouth. Okay. Did he pee in your mouth? One time. One time. And what did he say? Uh, to swallow it, but of course I did not. Mm. What did you do? Went to spit it out. Did he know you spit it out? Yeah. Yeah. What did he say? He said you were supposed to swallow it, not spit it out. How many times would you say this happened between. I don't know. What'd you say? A lot of times. So more than one time. Okay.

[Podcast Host]

Robert Seaman was a monster who forced his girlfriend's daughter to give him oral sex. Yes. I know it's actually rape, but we have to describe things so the audience understands what we're saying. According to Corin, this happened countless times. And throughout the years, things only escalated, to say the least. What Robert did to Corin was depraved. Evil and disgusting. But you shouldn't need a podcaster to tell you that.

[Teen Advocate]

He would climb on top of you. Okay. Kiss me. Okay. Where would he kiss you at? Lips. Okay. Would he ask you to pull your pants down?

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Yeah.

[Teen Advocate]

Yeah. And then what would he say? Or what would he do next? Try touch my private. Okay. Would he say anything to you when he was doing that? No. No. Do you ever touch you on your boobs? Yes. Yeah. We're on top of your clothing. Underneath your clothing. Something different. Okay. Did he ever. Did he ever put his penis on your. Lulu? Yes. Yes. Were your clothes on or off or something different? Off. Off. And what did he do? Just would, like, push me back and forth onto him. Did he ever put his penis in your bites?

[Podcast Host]

One time, Corrin claimed that between the ages of 4 and 9, Robert Seaman had repeatedly sexually assaulted her. Anyway, as it is often the case in these situations, there was no evidence to confirm or back up these accusations against Robert. Even so, the detectives and prosecutors believed Corrin. They actually usually do. And it's a rare instance where women aren't believed. But, you know, tell yourselves whatever you want. I tend to believe a rape victim unless they've lied over and over and over again in the past, and so should you. Anyway, I believe her. Judge for yourself.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Obviously, she's nine. At the time, there was no other evidence other than her statement, but her description of the assaults and every time that something would happen was very compelling. You know, she. She had details that a 9 year old shouldn't know.

[Podcast Host]

After Corrin disclosed and described the years of abuse that she endured, Robert Seaman was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, which included the sexual assault of a minor. One of the worst possible crimes you can commit. Definitely in the top three. At his arraignment, Robert pled not guilty.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

He was given a very high bond in comparison to a lot of cases. 250,000 cash or surety. Meaning he either has to post $250,000 in cash or get a surety like a bondsman to come in and vouch for him and saying they would post if he ran.

[Podcast Host]

Within days of the arraignment, prosecutors were shocked to find out that Robert had managed to post bond somehow. What is it with these judges anyway? This predator was now free to harm other children. But at least he was given strict conditions, you know, because I'm sure he'll pay attention to those, since he follows the law and stuff.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

As a condition of that bond, he was to be placed on an ankle monitor that was GPS enabled and that he was told he was on house arrest. He couldn't have any contact with the victim or her family.

[Podcast Host]

Unsurprisingly, Robert violated his bond condition soon after his release by having contact with Corrine's mom. What was unexpected was that Robert hadn't initiated this contact. Corrine's mother had reached out to him. And here is a critical detail. Corrin's mom was Lyn Schmidt. Remember her? The non deaf child of Bill and Judy Schmidt.

[911 Dispatcher]

So, like the last time I spoke with you, you hadn't had any contact with Robert. But we had some concerns, from what we had heard, that he believed you were going to recant. And that was why we came to talk to you. Just to find out if there was any basis for that and what your intentions were in terms of the criminal case against Robert.

[Podcast Host]

During the course of their investigation, the detectives working to put Robert behind bars came across something deeply unsettling. They discovered that Lynn might actually testify on Robert's behalf. It appeared she was prepared to take the stand and claim her daughter had lied about the sexual assault.

[911 Dispatcher]

Did he contact you from there, then?

[Teen Advocate]

No, he never contacted me. I approached him because I knew that.

[911 Dispatcher]

So how often did you see him there?

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

I saw him there.

[Teen Advocate]

I mean, I've been there. I mean, I don't know how many times, but I've been there.

[911 Dispatcher]

Okay.

[Teen Advocate]

I just know, you know? Where's your money?

[911 Dispatcher]

Why are you going?

[Teen Advocate]

Because I want him to think that you know, nobody, like nobody else. I mean, I know other people know. You know what I mean?

[911 Dispatcher]

But I just want you want him to trust you.

[Podcast Host]

When detectives questioned Lynn about her ongoing contact with Robert, her answers were evasive. She claims she was scared of Robert, fearing he might retaliate against her, her parents, or even Corinne, and that staying in touch with him was her way of keeping him in line, surely. Sure, sure.

[911 Dispatcher]

Yeah, I know. I'm concerned about your parents house too. Because of their hard of hearing?

[Teen Advocate]

No.

[911 Dispatcher]

They're deaf. Right. Their lack of hearing. I don't necessarily believe that he has the means and even the stomach or the will to actually do that. And I want to believe, obviously, that you're afraid of it. I feel that he knows full well how to make you this afraid and how to make you do his wishes in order to get out of his current predicament. As she's advising you, you need to remove yourself from being anywhere near him or having any contact with him.

[Podcast Host]

Despite the warnings to keep away, Lynn ignored this advice. Instead, she went Further, she moved back into Robert's house, bringing along, get this, her younger daughter, Ava, who was only four at the time. It appeared that Lyn had turned her back on her daughter Corinne in favor of the attention and affection that she was getting from Corrine's rapist.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

We don't know why Corrine's mom went back to Robert Seaman after the rape allegations came out in March of 2014. She was never able to give us a straight answer as to why she went back with Robert. She.

[Podcast Host]

Her.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

And she took her youngest, who was also the biological child of Robert Seaman, Ava, back to the house and lived with him.

[Podcast Host]

It's weird. All these smart people don't know why she went back, but I do. I do. It's Dick. Say it with me. Dick Lynn was now living with Robert while her daughter Corinne had moved in with her grandparents because Robert kept raping her. And her grandparents were the murder victims, Bill and Judy Schmidt. For a while, everything seemed calm. But then, on the eve of Robert's trial for sexual assault, guess what happens. You want to guess? I'll give you a couple minutes. Okay. Okay, here we go.

[911 Dispatcher]

Youngstown911. What is your emergency?

[Teen Advocate]

Yes, is there. Did anybody report a house on firearm powers?

[911 Dispatcher]

They did, ma' am, and they're on their way. Okay.

[Teen Advocate]

Okay, thank you.

[911 Dispatcher]

Okay. Did you know. Do you know if anyone got out? Everyone got out, or you don't know?

[Teen Advocate]

I don't know. I don't think they did.

[911 Dispatcher]

Okay.

[Teen Advocate]

All right, we're.

[911 Dispatcher]

We're getting them down there. Thank you very much.

[Teen Advocate]

Okay.

[Podcast Host]

3:41Am Monday, March 30th. An explosion and fire at 3631 Powers Way.

[Teen Advocate]

Fire broke out from the bottom of.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

The basement and just swoosh.

[Podcast Host]

Just hours before Robert's trial was set to begin, Bill and Judy's house exploded. And the subsequent flames engulfed their home, killing them.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

We asked all the firemen and the fire marshal's investigators why that would be. Why would they hear an explosion? And they said, from our evidence, we know he went in with those gas cans and went to the landing of the basement stairs. And we believe he poured the gas over the side of the stairs down into the landing. He then must have taken those two gas cans back outside and set them alongside the door, figuring he'll grab them on the way to his car. And he goes back in with the lighter. And when he goes back in and even just flicks that lighter because that gas, all those fumes had been building up. Now while he poured the gas the investigators and the forensic scientists that we talked to talked about just him flicking that lighter can ignite still those fumes in the air. And that's why he gets that flash burn on his face. And they hear essentially an explosion from the fire. Now it also might have exploded, exploded like bigger ones. It hits like the house's gas line.

[Podcast Host]

The explosion and fire claimed the lives of Bill and Judy Schmidt. But tragically, they weren't the only victims.

[911 Dispatcher]

Within a few hours, we know the.

[Podcast Host]

Three people in the house, 10 year old Corrine Gump and her grandparents, Bill and Judy Schmidt, had died in the fire. I saw them carrying baby out last time. Bill and Judy were not the intended targets of this arson attack. Heartbreakingly, they were simply collateral damage. Robert's true aim was to silence his young victim, and he succeeded. When firefighters sifted through the ash and rubble, they found the bodies of Bill, Judy and a small girl. 10 year old Corrine Gump was dead.

[Teen Advocate]

Use of flavored tobacco by teens is a crisis. Tobacco companies use flavors like cotton candy, watermelon ice and cool mint to hook kids like me. They seem harmful, harmless, but they are. Addiction to nicotine sets us up for a lifetime of health problems. Oregon legislators can do something about it. Passing Senate Bill 702A will keep flavored tobacco away from kids. But there are just a few short weeks left for lawmakers to act, take action to protect kids like me@ flavorshookoregonkids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids action fund.

[Podcast Host]

On March 30, 2015, an arson fire claimed the lives of three people in Youngstown, Ohio. 10 year old Corrin Gump and her grandparents, Bill and Judy Schmidt. Before the flames even had time to fully die out, some of Corin's family members had their suspicions about who was responsible for this horrific crime.

[Teen Advocate]

Corrine's grandma on her dad's side thinks this fire was no mistake.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

He was wicked, he was evil.

[Teen Advocate]

She thinks this man had something to do with it. Robert Seaman accused of sexually assaulting Corrine. The trial was supposed to start today on literally the eve of trial.

[Podcast Host]

Hours before this trial was supposed to begin, this victim dies in a fire. That same morning, the sexual assault trial against Robert Seaman was scheduled to begin. And Mahoning County Prosecutor Don Kanta La Mesa was prepared to go forward. Strangely enough, it seemed that Robert was ready to proceed as well.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

It was probably 8:30, 9:00 clock in the morning that morning and he was all dressed, ready for his trial. And then the Judge ordered the records from his GPS bracelet to be faxed the court so that she could review where that GPS bracelet study went. We were able to then see from those records that they immediately faxed that before coming to court that morning, he had stopped at the Breaking Point recovery center, who maintained his bracelet.

[Podcast Host]

And at Walgreens, the judge presiding over the sexual assault trial was informed about the fight, fire and Corrine's death. When they reviewed the GPS records from Robert's ankle monitor, they found no indication that he had visited Bill and Judy's home, though his tracker did reveal a trip to the headquarters of a company responsible for monitoring the device. That company was called Breaking Point. When Robert arrived at Breaking Point early that morning, he requested that his ankle monitor be tightened. Imagine that. Imagine going to the place that makes your ankle monitor and requesting that it be tightened. That doesn't raise any red flags, does it? Anyway, the staff there complied. For the judge and prosecutors, Robert's scheme was pretty clear. He had slipped off the monitor, driven to Bill and Judy's house, set the fire, and returned home. Once there, he reattached the the ankle monitor and went to Breaking Point to have it adjusted so that any evidence of tampering would be removed. Robert was supposed to be on strict house arrest, permitted only to leave for court or to meet with his lawyer. This unauthorized trip to Breaking Point alone was a violation, which led the judge, thankfully, to revoke his bond, a bond he should have never had to begin with. Robert was taken into custody, and soon after, he was questioned by detectives about the house fire.

[911 Dispatcher]

Now, you know, are you guys charging me, or is that what this is about? Because, I mean, if it is, then I shouldn't say anything. You know what I'm saying? Well, I'm here to talk to you to hear your side of the story. You seem frustrated. You told me that down there. Yeah, I am. And I said, let's. Your side of the story. Let's try to put this to bed quicker. I didn't burn that house down. No matter what, no matter shape, no matter how. There's no way in hell in a million years I touched that house or near that house.

[Podcast Host]

As expected, Robert denied any involvement in setting the fire. But the detectives didn't believe him. They humored him, asking for details, though, about where he was and what he did that morning. They already knew.

[911 Dispatcher]

I don't know. Were you a night owl? I was nervous with the whole, you know, thing, so I tried to sleep. I slept. I don't know. I might have slept till probably 2ish or so. And I got antsy, and then I got up, tried to watch some tv and cleaned up, and, you know, just basically I was nervous about, you know, the whole thing. So before I left, though, I showered, I got a shower. I just tried to do, like, chores around the house, Little things to keep me going, you know. And then. Can you explain this?

[Podcast Host]

Detectives also inquired about the large burns on Robert's face and his missing eyebrows. Curiously, Robert claimed that the burns weren't from the fire at all. He insisted he'd only received them after being taken back into custody, saying they were chemical burns he'd sustained in his jail cell. Because, you know, jail cells have lots of chemicals in them.

[911 Dispatcher]

I go in the room, I don't know, I make my bed, I turn around, and I didn't get to know the guy's name. He has a little goatee on him. And there's a bottle inside of my room that says, like, corrosion or whatever. It's a spray bottle. Bleach, I guess they have, like, bleach, I guess, for the tubs or whatever. And they put it in a bottle, and you could clean with it what was already in the room. I went in, you know, the kid came in the room. He has a goatee. I don't know his name because he kept taking his arm band off, went in the room. I probably wasn't Even in there 10 minutes or so, you know, roughly right about then, you know, I made my bed, I turned around, there he was. He threw it at me. I turned my head this way, I pushed, and I got to the water as quick as I could. In the meantime, he grabbed the thing, you know, I don't know. I guess he dumped it in the toilet, and then he walked out.

[Podcast Host]

The detectives knew Robert was lying, but they continued playing along. They even offered to help Robert confirm his claim with a free visit to the burns specialist. Unsurprisingly, Robert wasn't too keen on taking them up on that offer.

[911 Dispatcher]

I get what you're saying, and I do, and I know this. I'm sure that looks to you guys like I'm guilty of sin. How about this? Will you go to Akron Burn to get treatment so we know exactly what this is. I already talked to my lawyer today, and he got the. Like, they have a paper upstairs, and the paper says on there it's chemical. And so I will get what I'm trying to say. So for me to keep doing this, it's like, here's what. Just hear me out. Go Ahead. I want to send you to a professional burn doctor, not an emergency room at St. E's doctor. Because this could put a lot of stuff to bed. Yeah. And like I said, it's just. Just like with how many times you guys have sent someone to the house right now, you understand? Like every day out of the paper. And that tortures my family. Because I understand. You got to keep doing your job. I get it. But the point is there has to be some point where it's redundant, you know, that's why I'm saying. You get what I'm saying? The burnt to a professional. Yeah. You know, that's why I'm saying that it does. I don't understand where you're coming from. Because. Because this could help. Emptiness. To put it the best. I get what you're saying, but you have to understand my point of view. I mean, I'm trying to be as cooperative as I can, but this is like a witch hunt to me at this point.

[Podcast Host]

As far as evidence went, the burns on Robert's face were bad enough, but detectives had a little bit more. Well, a lot more.

[911 Dispatcher]

I don't want to do that. I mean, I understand you guys. There's probably some. Well, let me. Let me ask you this. Why would you go into Walgreens? Why would I go into Walgreens? Yes. Did you buy anything at Walgreens? I don't think I did. I was just killing time. That's why I said I parked over.

[Teen Advocate]

There in the corner.

[Podcast Host]

What Robert didn't know was that police had obtained surveillance footage from Walgreens. In case you're a criminal out there and you're looking to do some criminal activity. It's 2025, you moron. There's cameras everywhere. This footage clearly showed Robert entering the store and purchasing the makeup. It was evident that the makeup was used to cover his flash burns.

[911 Dispatcher]

Let me ask you this. Do you wear makeup? Do I wear makeup? Yes, sir. No, I mean, I don't. I mean, I don't normally wear makeup. As far as you're talking about the COVID up for a zit that I had and when I was going to, you know, Toronto. So I put it over a zit I had on my nose. That's the only thing I did with the makeup. What about. Have you ever used eyebrow pencils? Eyebrow pencils? New ceramnites. New. I promise.

[Podcast Host]

Robert's lies were unraveling fast, and detectives knew precisely what he had done that morning. It was written all over his face. They knew he'd set the fire and ended three lives. They knew that his crime had literally blown up in his face. They knew he'd gone to Walgreens to buy makeup to cover the evidence that was written all over his dumb, stupid child raping mug.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Once he went to the jail and all that makeup came off his face, you could see that he had like flash burns on his face that had singed his eyebrows.

[Podcast Host]

As detectives continued to press him, Robert tried to shift the blame. It's always someone else's fault. In a desperate attempt to divert attention, he hinted that detectives should look a little closer instead at Corinne's mom, Lynn Schmidt.

[911 Dispatcher]

But Lynn and the baby have lived with me for over seven months now, you know, non stop. She hasn't even seen her daughter, you know, Corinne one time and you know, that was a fight thing with her mom and dad. You know, they headed out and, you know, she needed a place to stay and I wasn't going to, you know, have my daughter on the street, so to say, you know, so they were more than welcome to be there.

[Podcast Host]

It was true that Lynn had returned to living with Robert after the sex abuse allegations had surfaced. In fact, she was at Robert's house on the morning that her daughter Corinne and her parents were killed in the fire.

[911 Dispatcher]

You know, Lynn unfortunately isn't stable. Like I said with her, you know, she's getting over half a million dollars with her parents gone. I mean literally, I mean, they have over half a million dollars in cash in the bank. Everything's entitled in her name. So in no way, shape or form. I mean, I'm not saying that she would do. I wouldn't think she would do something like this. But my point is she has so much money, when they die, it's like it might even be close to a million dollars. I'm not trying to be rude, but essentially you're going to come into some money too. No, I ain't coming into the money. It's not. She's living with you? Yeah, she was living with me for the years before too. But she never worked, she never brought in any income. Yeah, but if she's gonna sit nine and a half million dollars, then you're going in some of that, are you? Or do you think she's going up and leave you? We're not on that good of terms, so to say.

[Podcast Host]

Lynn certainly appeared to have a motive for wanting her parents dead. And Robert had no problem throwing her under the bus because, you know, he's a hell of a guy.

[911 Dispatcher]

Do you think she could have had the opportunity to get out of the house during the night. I was probably sleeping at that time. But one thing that was strange was the door was open. What do you mean the door was open? We always close the door. Like, if she gets up in the middle of the night, we still close the door. We have a double wood door that closes in the master bedroom where we sleep at night. Do you think she had an opportunity when you were sleeping to get out of the house and get back in without you knowing about it? She could have, yes, because the door was open. That was the weird thing that I thought was weird.

[Podcast Host]

Detectives were certain that Robert had started the fire. His burns and his visit to Walgreens were proof enough. But that didn't mean that Lynn was innocent, far from it. She could very well have known about Robert's plan or even helped. She might have provided details about how to get into the house, where to pour the gasoline, and the best time to strike. Considering that she continued to live with her daughter's abuser, her capabilities seemed disturbing. But without hard evidence, this all remained speculation, kind of.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

So we've always, from the very beginning, suspected that Lyn knew that Robert was going to do something. That morning. When the detectives first responded to the house, they went the early morning of March 30, 2015, to do a, well, check on her. Because obviously, if someone's going to kill the grandparents and the victim of a crime or of the rape trial that was supposed to happen that morning, we wanted to know if anything happened to Lynn as well. And so when the cops went there, when the cops went to Robert Seaman's house, they pounded on the door, and no one immediately came to the house. They went to around the back, pounded on the back door. They came back to the front. They made entry to the house because no one was answering. And they found Lynn just watching television in the family room. And they asked her what she was doing there, why she wasn't at court, and she said she was told not to come to court the next day. However, both the state and the defense had subpoenaed Lynn for the trial, and us, being the state, had subpoenaed her for that day. So she should have actually been at court that morning.

[Podcast Host]

As for motive, prosecutors did confirm that if her parents died, Lynn would stand to inherit a significant amount of money.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

When Bill and Judy Schmidt had died, they apparently had had a life insurance policy which listed all three of their children as beneficiaries, one being Lynn, Corrine's mom. And so they called us to determine Whether we had any information or any evidence that would link Lynn to the fire, whether we thought she had been involved or we thought she had anything to do with the arson and the murder of them. And we told them we didn't have anything that said she was involved, but we didn't have anything specific that said she had nothing to do with it.

[Podcast Host]

In the end, if Lynn was involved in the murders of her daughter and parents, detectives couldn't prove it. As of today, Lynn Schmidt remains a free woman. Robert Seaman was the only person ever charged for these murders.

[911 Dispatcher]

I said, I have nothing, nowhere near that house. I will not, I don't. I've never even drove, drove by the street of that house. I avoided, completely circle around. I know Corinne's there. I ain't going near that house. You know, why would I, if, if I had any intention of doing this, why would this be done right before? It makes no sense. It makes zero sense for me. I'm, I'm guilt. I look guilty. I'm the one, you know what I'm trying to say. So if somebody did this, it surely wasn't me. When people are backed in the corner, they will do anything to survive. I wasn't back to the corner. I understand that, but if you can review the case, the only witness they had was correct. I had her mother, I had the guardian of litem, I had the juvenile record. I had, I mean, I had so much stuff that it wasn't even, it wasn't even close. I had her mother, you know.

[Podcast Host]

Robert maintained a facade of confidence, claiming that he had a strong chance of beating the sexual assault charges. But this was nothing more than phony bravado. Corinne's statements were powerful and she had no reason to lie. A 10 year old wouldn't lie about something like this voluntarily, not unless they were extraordinarily troubled. And then you gotta ask, why are they that troubled? At 10, Robert knew the consequences he faced if convicted. He would likely spend his life in a federal prison where as a sex offender, he'd be in constant danger. As we all know, a lot of inmates don't take too kindly to child rapists. Nobody should. That's what woodchippers are for. Backed into a corner, Robert was far more desperate than he let on. His reasoning was clear. If he was headed to prison for life, why not eliminate the one witness against him? At best, he'd get away with it and the charges would be dropped. At worst, he'd end up in prison. All the same, Robert had everything to gain and nothing to lose. Among the many frustrations in this case, one glaring issue is that Robert should have never been released on bail. What the fuck are we doing in this country with cashless bail? How stupid are we to come up with that shit? This monster should have remained in custody until his trial. But even if bail was granted, it should have been revoked long before he had a chance to murder Corinne and her grandparents. Why don't judges like Maureen Sweeney understand incentives? I thought people with law degrees were supposed to be smart.

[911 Dispatcher]

You advised that you had information about Robert Seaman violating his house arrest or possibly violating his house arrest. Can you tell me what you saw or how you noticed it? Just that he was leaving a lot, you know. And then I called and talked to the first prosecutor. I forget her name right now, but she's like, yeah, you know, when you see him leaving, call and let me know every time, whatever. So I called her a couple times.

[Podcast Host]

While Robert was out on bail. His neighbor reported seeing Robert leave the house multiple times a day at all hours, despite being under house arrest. When these reports were made, the court should have been alerted immediately, and Robert's bond should have been revoked, but it wasn't.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

When the judge got those records from the GPS company who was monitoring him when she got. She was so pissed because we also saw that he had been leaving his house all the time. Apparently, that Breaking Point never called the court to tell them to tell the court that he was leaving, going to Taco Bell and then going to the mall and then going to get a new seat. And they should have been reporting that to the court, but they never told the court that he was leaving all this time. And I don't know who the neighbor was reporting it to. But my guess is if they. If he was reporting to someone and they had reported it to the police, maybe the court or whoever would have heard would have thought, well, if he was really leaving, we get a report from Breaking Point that said he was going outside and going other places than the courthouse or his attorney.

[Podcast Host]

As for the company responsible for tracking Robert Breaking Point, their failure to do its job eventually didn't surprise anyone. You see, it turns out that a lot of these companies are bullshit. This one in particular. Their owner had racked up nearly as many felonies and fraud convictions as P. Diddy has.

[911 Dispatcher]

Apparently, Ryan Sheridan's Trouble started almost 18 months ago when state and federal agents raided his Breaking Point recovery centers in Austintown and another location in Columbus. They also raided homes owned by Sheridan. A few days later, directors with the Ohio Department of Medicaid announced they had suspended Breaking Point's contracts. Then in March, federal investigators seized more than $2 million from him. In May, the U.S. attorney's office filed paperwork trying to seize Sheridan's million dollar home in Latonia, claiming he used Medicaid money to buy it. Fast forward to October when a Columbiana county grand jury indicted him on several drug charges.

[Podcast Host]

And just last month, another indictment.

[911 Dispatcher]

This time federal prosecutors were involved. Sheridan and five others were named as investigators accused them of running a force.

[Podcast Host]

$48 million healthcare fraud, conspiracy. Don't you just love how the government spends your money? This story is without question both infuriating and deeply tragic. Every safeguard that should have protected Corrine Gump failed her. The courts, the lawyers with their fancy law degrees and their Ivy League educations, the GPS monitoring system and company that made it, and even Corinne's own mother, all of them fell short. All of them were huge disappointments. And in the end, what chance did this little 10 year old girl really have? None. None at all. She was a sacrificial lamb to this corruption up system. Eventually, and as the routine goes, Robert Seaman was arraigned on murder charges for killing Corinne and her grandparents. As expected, he pled not guilty. And this circus continued.

[911 Dispatcher]

Authorities admit they don't know how Seaman managed to get out of his electronic monitoring ankle bracelet that morning, or how he got back and forth from the.

[Podcast Host]

The Schmidt's home to set the fire.

[911 Dispatcher]

They believe caused his burns. But they do believe they had more than enough evidence to convince a Portage county jury. Seaman was so desperate to get out of his rape case that he'd kill his young victim.

[Podcast Host]

By now you're probably expecting the typical outcome for a case like this. Something along the lines of Robert was sentenced to life in prison or Robert was sentenced to death. But think again. This story has one final twist. You won't like it. Just days before his murder trial was set to begin, the judge called prosecutors, defense and Robert himself into court for a final status hearing.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

So we'd been in the status conference, the judge was asking us, everybody ready? So we were done with that. We left out the back chambers of the court. We walked Judge Sweeney on the fourth floor of the Mono County Courthouse. So we walked around the corner, got in the elevator and we usually go down to the basement and go through our tunnel to our office. As soon as we got back, I got a call from one of the deputies that he had jumped. And I said, no, no he didn't. Why? Why are you playing with me? And they said, no, we're not kidding. He jumped. And my first reaction was, is he dead?

[Podcast Host]

After the status hearing, Robert was escorted by two deputies down the courtroom halls back towards his cell. During this walk, out of nowhere, Robert flung himself over a fourth floor railing.

[911 Dispatcher]

At approximately 9:40 this morning, Robert Seaman was having a final pre trial hearing on the fourth floor in Judge Sweeney's courtroom. The court adjourned. While the deputies were escorting Mr. Seaman down the hallway to go back to our holding cell. He basically took a leap off of the fourth floor. So we a real quick look at what took place here. The deputies actually did a great job.

[Podcast Host]

They did what they were supposed to.

[911 Dispatcher]

Do when they were escorting it out. And you know, I can't speak for Mr. Seaman. He must have had his mind made up.

[Teen Advocate]

Murder and arson suspect Robert Seaman is dead after jumping from the balcony of the Mahoning County Courthouse. Seaman is the man accused of killing a little girl and her grandparents in an arson just over two years ago.

[Podcast Host]

In the end, Robert performed one final act that could be seen only as a favor to society. He took his own life. The coward didn't want to face what was waiting for him in prison. As for the deputies escorting him, no one seemed to care. And really why should they? Who could blame him?

[911 Dispatcher]

Are we going to change anything? Well, we're going to look at that obviously. But you know, I don't see any issues with this and I'm certainly not going to lose sleep over this. This one.

[Podcast Host]

Since lawyers can't put a dead man on trial, the prosecutors had no choice but to dismiss the charges against Robert Seaman. In the eyes of the court, he was never found guilty of anything. Dying an innocent man on paper. Hopefully this one episode of a podcast few people might hear one day will at least get Corrine's story out to the world. Writing this horrible wrong that our system of laws have created, we never got.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

To present our evidence to a jury. But we were so convinced of his guilt in this case. I mean, not only did we have the pending rape charge where she's listed as a victim and he knows where she is, we had the two gas cans at the back door with his DNA in the glove. We had the makeup that he's found within the courtroom that morning of trial and him buying the makeup at Walgreens that morning along with the eyebrow pencils. Then we have the pictures of his burnt face from once the makeup wore off that morning. Just everything pointed to him as the one who committed it and no one else. There was Never. Once we had all that evidence lined up, there was never any doubt in our minds that Robert Seaman did it.

[Podcast Host]

The evidence against Robert was overwhelming, leaving almost no chance he'd escape justice. Perhaps the final nail in his coffin was the DNA found on the plastic gloves stuffed into the neck of one of the gasoline cans that was found outside Bill and Judy's home, the home that was set on fire with them in it. That DNA was a perfect match for Robert Seaman. And unlike people, DNA don't lie. Robert knew that his life as he knew it was over. And the fact that he chose to end his life only underscores his guilt.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

I think it's very telling. I think it's very telling he knew the evidence against him. Every witness we had talked to in preparation for the case, they didn't know why he was not pleading guilty or not asking for some kind of plea. So this is very telling to anyone out there. We knew he did it, he knew we had the evidence and there was no way he was going to get away with this.

[Podcast Host]

There are so many lessons to take away from this case. But perhaps the most significant is the role single parents must play in protecting their own children. Above all, a parent must place their child's welfare first. They must be the strongest line of defense for their own blood. There are predators in the hen house. There have always been and there will always be. You better be a good fuckin mother. Hence, if you're gonna even lay an.

[Prosecutor Don Cantalamesa]

Egg, know who your children are hanging out with. You know what I mean? Like their daughter was hanging out with this Robert Seaman. I always think it's weird when you let another man into your house with your biological children who isn't their dad.

[Podcast Host]

All parents have a responsibility to protect their children. But for single parents, that responsibility comes with quite a bit of nuance. They must safeguard their kids, and not just from obvious dangers, but from those that might come disguised as affection. They can't let their own needs surpass the safety of their children. And if they do choose to allow someone into their lives and homes, they have to stay vigilant. The caution is essential. If that caution isn't there, someone like Robert Seaman can worm their way in and they will manipulate anyone and everyone to get what they want. You can't be a mom and a dumb bitch at the same time. It just doesn't work. If you are a single parent that is also seeking romance. The hard truth is that you need to stay on guard. It's sad, I know it sucks, but that's the world we live in. Because in the end, nobody, not the government, not the courts, not the cops, will protect your kids. Only you can do that. The innocent child named Corinne Gump died in 2015. She was only 10 years old. If she were alive today, she'd be about 20. A young woman just starting out her life. Who knows what dreams lay ahead, what possibilities lay open before her? Tragically, the legal system and her own mother and actually the whole fucking world, to be honest with you. Failed her. We all failed her. Society needs to get their head out of their ass. It ain't a Disney movie. The real world is harsh, ugly and disgusting. And people can be also Sam hey, go sign up for Plus. Tired of begging? @ least buy something in the store. Store Sword and scale dot com. You guys are cheap, as did you know that. Anyway, I'll be here next week regardless. Until then, stay safe. I guess.

[911 Dispatcher]

SA.

[Teen Advocate]

Use of flavored tobacco by teens is a crisis. Tobacco companies use flavors like cotton candy, watermelon, ice and cool to hook kids like me. They seem harmless, but they aren't. Addiction to nicotine sets us up for a lifetime of health problems. Oregon legislators can do something about it. Passing Senate Bill 702A will keep flavored tobacco away from kids. But there are just a few short weeks left for lawmakers to act. Take action to protect kids like me@ flavorshookorgankids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund.