Transcript

Talking Dateline: “The Death of Dr. Schwartz" with Blayne Alexander and Keith Morrison | Dateline

From Dateline NBC · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 31 min · 6,239 words · 105 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Talking Dateline: “The Death of Dr. Schwartz" with Blayne Alexander and Keith Morrison | Dateline", an episode of Dateline NBC published November 5, 2025 (31 min, about 6,239 words). It mentions 37 people, works and ideas, including Albania, Redemption, Rob Buchanan, Accessory after the fact, Plea Deal.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Albania, Atlanta, Communist Rule, Hobbs, New Mexico
  2. – 10:00: Accessory after the fact, Plea Deal, Redemption
  3. – 15:00: Redemption, Carter Schwarz
  4. – 25:00: Carter Schwarz, Detective Devil, Instagram, Kim Dalton
  5. – 30:00: Vanessa, Ben Nichols, Civil Judgment, Colorado Springs
  6. – 31:10: Talking Dine

Notable quotes from "Talking Dateline: “The Death of Dr. Schwartz" with Blayne Alexander and Keith Morrison | Dateline"

  • Hello, I'm Keith Morrison and I am here today with Blaine Alexander. hi Blaine, how are you?
    about Keith Morrison · at
  • Ever traveled this much for a story period. a dine story any story. So we went to Albania of course that was the biggest trip. Took a transatlantic flight over to Albania. Stayed there.
    about Albania · at
  • International trip. but it was so interesting. the this was a place that was formerly under communist rule. It was a very, just an interesting place. And so the feel once I got over there kind of spoke to that. And I will say in.
    about Communist Rule · at
  • Jail awaiting trial for a good amount of time for several years and then finally pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact. And I asked him, If you truly had nothing to do…
    about Accessory after the fact · at
  • Yeah., Yeah,, I, mean, that, just, just, the idea that kind of redemption is not only possible but here is a perfect example of how that happened that a person rebuilt his life after a thing like that and was able to become a.
    about Redemption · at
  • There, was, a, very, big, difference, between how Rebecca Schwarz acted toward Carter Schwarz Steven Schwarz's son and her own sons. According to Carter and a lot of that was…
    about Carter Schwarz · at
  • Yeah., Yeah., Well,, you, know,, according to the police, they just never felt and our lead detective, Detective Devil, never felt that he had the evidence to bring to the…
    about Detective Devil · at
  • We, have, another, audio, question., Let's listen. This one is from Vanessa.
    about Vanessa · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Rob Buchanan — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    And later, Rob Buchanan, who produced this story, will join Blaine and take some of your comments. So, welcome to this program and let's talk dine.
  • Carter Schwarz — Person · 2 mentions · first at
  • Vanessa — Person · 2 mentions · first at
  • Keith Morrison — Person · 1 mention · first at
  • John Hanks Alexander — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Hello, I'm Keith Morrison and I am here today with Blaine Alexander. hi Blaine, how are you?
  • Detective Devil — Person · 1 mention · first at
  • Kim Dalton — Person · 1 mention · first at
    A, couple, of, people, wanted, to, know, about Dr. Schwarz and his money. Kim Dalton said this on Instagram. It seems weird that Dr. Schwarz left nothing to his son and…
  • Dr. Victor Cook — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Was only one section of our story. We actually got a comment from someone who is related to Dr. Victor Cook Anna, Raten,, who, said,, My, husband's family is related to Dr. Cook. I'm more curious about his part of the story.
  • Suzanne Nutting — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Yeah., I, I, mean, I, heard, actually, from Suzanne Nutting after our program aired who we interviewed who's wishing for the same.
  • Mark & Mini Cecil — Person · 1 mention · first at
    I'm just very grateful that we that Suzanne spoke to us and that, we, also, heard, from, James, Cecil because I do feel like hearing from people who were impacted by that crime…
  • Stephanie — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Hi,, this, is, Stephanie, calling, from Colorado Springs. I'm wondering if the civil judgment against Rebecca can be used as evidence in a future criminal trial. Thanks.
  • Donald C. Murphy — Person · 1 mention · first at
    I watched something about the Adolf family last week with Dennis Murphy.
  • Liz Cole — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Florida at the moment. so interesting. yes, there are three states. They are our boss Liz Cole at one point. task someone to figure out where the most stories happened. And the top three, okay, here's our quiz.
  • Ben Nichols — Person · 1 mention · first at
    You actually spoke with one of Rebecca's biological sons, Ben Nichols.
  • Dr. Jeff Leo — Person · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

  • Instagram — Company · 1 mention · first at
    A, couple, of, people, wanted, to, know, about Dr. Schwarz and his money. Kim Dalton said this on Instagram. It seems weird that Dr. Schwarz left nothing to his son and…
  • Dateline NBC — Company · 1 mention
  • NBC News — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

  • Talking Dine — Product · 2 mentions · first at
    Hi, Talking, Dine., I, just, want, to, know, why does so many things happen in Florida?
  • DLine — Product · 2 mentions
  • Peacock — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Believe. But you should watch it. It's right below here on this podcast or you can go to Peacock anytime and watch it.

Concepts & topics

  • Redemption — Concept · 4 mentions · first at
  • Accessory after the fact — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
  • Plea Deal — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
    And you know been convicted. And so that was what you know ultimately led him to take the plea deal. But it was something that he really struggled with because he says that he…
  • Communist Rule — Concept · 1 mention · first at
  • Preponderance of the Evidence — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    So, it is the preponderance of evidence if there are punitive damages, which is what the plaintiffs were requesting in this. Punitive damages are to punish the defendant and certainly $200 million.
  • Punitive Damages — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    So, it is the preponderance of evidence if there are punitive damages, which is what the plaintiffs were requesting in this. Punitive damages are to punish the defendant and certainly $200 million verdict. I think the jury was sending a.
  • Probate — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    In the report. but more or less all of his assets were in a trust. So that wouldn't necessarily go through probate and a will. As I understand from Carter, the deal was that…
  • Civil Judgment — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Hi,, this, is, Stephanie, calling, from Colorado Springs. I'm wondering if the civil judgment against Rebecca can be used as evidence in a future criminal trial. Thanks.
  • Statute of Limitations — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    There, is, no, statute, of, limitations, on murder. So yeah.
  • Trust (legal) — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

  • Albania — Place · 6 mentions · first at
  • Tarpon Springs, Florida — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Anyway,, today's, episode, is, the, death, of Dr. Schwarz. It begins at Tarpon Springs, Florida, where Dr. Steven Schwarz's son murdered in his own home.
  • Atlanta — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Spent more time traveling to and from Albania than we actually did on the ground in Albania. So left Atlanta Monday night, get to Albania Tuesday night, Albania time after flying, shoot, all, day, Wednesday,, started, at.
  • Hobbs, New Mexico — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Florida, which is where the crime happened. We went to Texas. We went to Hobbs, New Mexico. So there were several other places that we went in addition to the scene of the…
  • Colorado Springs — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Hi,, this, is, Stephanie, calling, from Colorado Springs. I'm wondering if the civil judgment against Rebecca can be used as evidence in a future criminal trial. Thanks.
  • Texas — Place · 1 mention

Full transcript with timestamps

Hello, I'm Keith Morrison and I am here today with Blaine Alexander. Um, hi Blaine, how are you?

Hi,, Keith., I, am, great., How, are, you,, my friend? Well,, I'm, fine., This, is, an, amazing piece.

Well,, thank, you. Anyway,, today's, episode, is, the, death, of Dr. Schwarz. It begins at Tarpon Springs, Florida, where Dr. Steven Schwarz's son murdered in his own home. Initially, it looked like a burglary a bit, but the detectives soon figured out that it was one of those that wasn't really a burglary. It was just meant to look like a burglary. It was a case of all kinds of suspicions uh about money and betrayal and family and strange goings on in the home of Dr. Schwarz and also a past that was just hard to believe. But you should watch it. It's right below here on this podcast or you can go to Peacock anytime and watch it.

And when you have watched it, come back because Blaine will have some things to say about it. And we'll also have an extra clip of her interview with detective Lara Scarpati, one of the responding officers at the crime scene. And later, Rob Buchanan, who produced this story, will join Blaine and uh take some of your comments. So, welcome to this program and let's talk dine.

Bla,, what, was, it, like, doing, this, story? You got all over the place on this one.

You, know,, Keith,, this, one, was, um, this one was absolutely all over the place. And so in addition to I don't think I've ever traveled this much for a story period. Uh a dine story any story. So we went to Albania of course that was the biggest trip. Took a transatlantic flight over to Albania. Stayed there.

I, was, wondering, by, the, way, I'm, I'm interrupting you here for a moment about Albania because

Oh, good., Please. It's, a, long, trip, over, there., Um, how, long were you there?

I'm, really, glad, you, asked, that., So, we spent more time traveling to and from Albania than we actually did on the ground in Albania. So left Atlanta Monday night, get to Albania Tuesday night, Albania time after flying, you know,

uh, shoot, all, day, Wednesday,, started, at 8:00 a.m., went all the way through the end of the day, shot the entire day.

Thursday,, shot, a, few, other, extra elements. Uh and then Friday, we were on a 500 a.m. flight out of there. And so it was a very it was a very very fast uh trip to Albania. Got a chance to see the country though. A place that I never would have thought that I would have traveled uh outside of being assigned to do a story there. So

this, frankly, is, one, of, the, grand, things about working for Dayline or working in in the business we're in is that you get to go places you would never otherwise go,

you, know,, and, it, was, so, interesting because I did not know what to expect right? when you're preparing to shoot a story like this, you're, you know interview questions, you're preparing for that, you're getting to know the subject matter, you're getting to know the testimony in and out, you don't really spend a lot of time like googling like what are things to see in Albania? And so I went over there very uh I guess blind, uh, you know, in the sense of people typically preparing for an international trip. Um, but it was so interesting. I mean, the this was a place that was formerly under communist rule. It was a very, um, you know, just an interesting place. And so the feel um once I got over there kind of kind of spoke to that. And I will say in addition to Albania, we went to and I don't that so that was the longest trip but we also we spent a lot of time in Florida, which is where the crime

happened. We went to uh Texas. We went to Hobbs, New Mexico. So there were several other places that we went in addition to the scene of the crime for this story. And so there were a lot of just different elements and different places to shoot for this story.

Well,, as, I, say,, quite, a, story., And, in Albania, you talked to Leo. Leo confessed to a to a role in this. What was your take on him and the degree of his participation and his believability?

Well,, I, I'll, say, this., I, mean,, Leo certainly wanted to tell his side of the story. He was very adamant in that he wanted to express. I mean, he he feels that Rebecca robbed him of everything. Um, he had a wife, he had a son here in America. You know, that marriage ended. he was deported, um had a business, had a home, all of these types of things. And so he has a lot of anger uh towards her. You heard what he says his role is in this. Um that basically he was just wrapped up in all of this. Investigators have a very different picture.

Investigators believe uh that he actually was very much more involved in all of this. But uh there is a piece of the story that um investigators believe that Leah was actually trying to help remove evidence uh from Dr. Schwarz trying to get the bullet and so they do believe that he played a larger role in this than he is letting on. Of course Leo says that's absolutely not true that he was just roped into this that he had nothing to do with what was going on and had no idea what he would find there. But again, um you saw it in the episode.

I mean, he lied a number of times. He swore up and down that he had nothing to do with it, that he didn't know about it, and then came back and said, "Well okay, I actually was there that day." Right? And so there is certainly investigators look at that and say "Well, you've lied. You've lied. You've lied. Why should we believe you now?" In Leo's telling, I mean, he was a very he was a very strong uh fullthroated uh defendant for himself, really wanting to tell his side of the story and say, you know, all these things that are being said about me are untrue. Here's uh here's my truth.

You, know,, whatever, Leo, did, or, didn't, do it, it it it remains a kind of a fascination even now. I guess he clearly wanted to talk. Listen to him tell his story. He he told it with verve and like you got to believe me. Um

he, did but, I, don't, know, people, change, their they you know people have this I'm sure you've discovered this through your whole life but especially in this business be people develop a way of kind of not exactly editing but just sort of becoming comfortable with a story about something they did or didn't do that isn't maybe exactly correct but they've kind of persuaded themselves it's correct over the years and sort of they become more comfortable with the telling of it as time time passes so that they can sit there in front of you, they can tell you a thing which is half true, a quarter true, not true at all. Um

and, look, as, if, it's,, you, know, absolutely true and they believe it with their whole heart and they probably do. It's a funny thing, a lot of people.

Well,, the, thing, is,, you, know,, I, asked Leo, one of the things that I asked him is, I mean, he swore up and down he had nothing to do with this, that Rebecca roped him into all of this. He sat in jail awaiting trial for a good amount of time for several years and then finally pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact. And I asked him, "If you truly had nothing to do with this, why take a plea? Why say that you, you know, were in fact an accessory after the fact, why plead to this?" Um and he said because he had been looking at he'd been there for such a long time and this was an option for him to finally get out of there to avoid what would have been a much harsher sentence had he stood trial and you know been convicted. And so that was what you know ultimately led him to take the plea deal. But it was something that he really um struggled with because he says that he didn't want to admit to

doing something that um he, said, he, had, no, involvement, in., I should say too that there was a far cry between what he was originally charged with murder and accessory after the fact, right? And that was something that we also took to, you know, law enforcement as well because Leo's thing was they didn't have anything on me otherwise why would they have let me plead to this. Um, so there was certainly a lot of ways to look at, you know, the plea deal that he ultimately took.

And, police, officers, will, get, what, they, you know, will will take what they can get. I mean, sometimes you can't prove a thing. So you you take whatever the best thing that is offered. You sat there and you asked him straight out, did you kill the doctor? What did you expect he was going to say?

I, knew, he, would, say, no., I, didn't, know how he would say it. I didn't know how it would come out. So I I did know that yes, he was going to he was going to deny it, of course. I didn't think that I, was, going to, get, a,

you, know,, unexpected, confession, from him. I, wondered, what, it, would, look, like., I didn't know if he was going to be angry. I didn't know if he was going to, you know, say calmly, "Absolutely not." I wanted to see how he would react. Honestly, I I mean I think you know sometimes it's more in the reaction than it is in the yes, no, or the answer of the question, right?

Yeah,, that's, true., That's, true., So, talk a bit about this hidden past. How did that come up? And

uh what, did, you, think, when, you, heard, about that? Now,, that, was, I, mean, in, a, story, full, of twists, that had to have been the biggest twist, right? I I I mean there is no way that anyone could look at this beloved doctor, would give money out of his pocket, help doctor help help patients pay their medical bills anything like that, and think that 50 years prior he was a murderer. And there were a number of things about that that just stood out to me. One, um the fact that we still couldn't figure out try as we did uh couldn't figure out why exactly he needed that money. What what was the deal with the money? Why did he you know, really resort to such a thing to to get that type of money. Um, we don't know why he was pardoned

why, the, the, governor, gave, him, a, full, uh pardon and then he was able to go about and go on and continue his life. And so I think that was just stunning in and of itself.

But, um this, was, something, that, when, we, talked to all of the people who loved him as you heard in the episode, I mean um even his own son was shocked, right? to find out a thing like that about your about someone you loved so much would just I can't imagine what that would be like for them.

Yeah., While, still, grieving, his, death, right? So, you're in the middle of grieving this person that you love and then you have to kind of come to grips with this this question. I asked him a number of things about it. He said, "I really wish that I could have talked to him about that. I wish that this is something that I that we could have discussed." He said, "Because he did have a number of questions. He can't square that

that, type, of, past, with, the, father, that he knew and loved." Yeah., Yeah,, I, mean, that, just, just, the the idea that that kind of redemption is not only possible but here is a perfect example of how that happened that a person rebuilt his life after a thing like that and was able to become a respected doctor and such a generous and kind person and then you wonder okay is that the come out does that come out of that lesson in that particular redemption or was he going to be like that anyway and he just got way laid by the side of the road for a little while you just you want to know these change.

You, know, what, it, made, me, think,, Keith? It made me wonder if that sort of redemption were available across the board. Like what could someone's life look like if they were able to kind of you know, pay their price, do their thing, and then carry on with their life and perhaps have their own chance at redemption, right? Because that is such a stunning turnaround. If you look at just that snapshot in time, you're thinking, "This is a kid. He's up to no good. He's a cold-blooded killer. He walked into this dentist office in the middle of the day, demanded his money and then shot him square in the in the head. Like

you, shouldn't, be, out, among, people anymore, right? Like, people could certainly look at that and think that's the case. And then yet, look what he did with his life afterward. And so, I wonder, you know

if, other, people, had, the, chance, to, do that, is that something? Could we see more redemption stories like that? Like who knows?

Who, knows?, So,, we're, we're, going, to, take a break and when we come back, we'll hear some of Blaine's conversation with Detective Laros Scarpati, who was the patrol officer at the time uh of the murder and she was one of the first on the scene. We hear some of your interview in a minute. It was a story where you kind of got the sense early on, okay, I think I maybe know who's and you know this looks a little suspicious and and you want to point at a certain person, but then it takes such a long strange trip before it gets to the final destination. I also wondered why he didn't see through his wife sooner than he did.

You, know, he was somebody who worked a lot. He was somebody who spent a lot of time um at the office, at the hospital um and so you know kind of the picture that we got of him was he was somebody who really buried himself in his work. I think the other part of that is that his past also really kind of informed how he dealt with people going forward. And so this is something that his son told me. He said he believes that his father was such a forgiving person and so willing to give other people second, third fourth, fifth chances

that, he, would, be, more, forgiving, of behavior. And Carter, said, he, does, believe, that, that, you know, is what led to him continuing in his relationship with his wife.

How, soon, after, she, married, him, did, she begin to use him as far as you could tell? So I think that and and you know we should say that of course Rebecca declined any interview with us. Um but everything she has said is that theirs was a loving marriage. You know they built the practice together. They built everything together and so she was entitled to this money as well.

But, from, everybody, that, we, talked, to there was a a pattern of issues with them when it came to money. Um there was actually a bump in their relationship earlier where they'd been together broke up for a bit because of some sort of behavior that was along those lines and then you know we're told that he gave her a second chance and they continued with their relationship there on and ultimately got married. I was interested too in the relationship with the sons, her sons, his son.

There, was, a, very, big, difference, uh between how Rebecca Schwarz acted toward Carter Schwarz uh Steven Schwarz's son and her own sons. According to Carter um and a lot of that was kind of underscored by money, right? I mean that was the it was very clear that there was no uh I I can't even say the warm and loving stepmother stepson relationship but it was more I I mean there was no relationship between the two of them but I think the biggest way to illustrate that is financially how you know the two sons two biological sons versus the stepson were treated. I think the thing that struck me the most was Carter's story about how he just needed $1,000 to secure his spot in med school. This is right after his father was killed and Rebecca refused to give it to him. Says you need to get a job and you need to figure it out on your own. And this is after, you know, we learn later in the story, she has spent untold hundreds of

thousands of dollars on cars businesses, I mean houses, weddings and stuff for her own two boys. people that we spoke to who worked in the office who kind of knew, you know, the Schwarzes you know, Rebecca in their telling was motivated by money that they saw that anything that even they gave to Carter was taking away from what she could have is what they told us. And so that certainly uh contributed to that relationship.

I'm, sure, I, suppose, they, probably, didn't have any any big happy family dinners together. All of them.

Certainly, not., Certainly, not., She, was never charged with the murder with murder criminally. Um, you talked to the detective about that. What was your sense of what his strange question to ask about a detective, but what his how he felt about all of that and the fact that he couldn't proceed with a criminal charge.

This, is, so, unlike, many, of, our, dine episodes, right, Keith? because usually they end with a criminal conviction or a criminal trial that ends in an acquitt.

Neither, of, those, happened, here., She, has never been, and it's important to just state this plainly, she's never been charged. She's never been arrested. She's never been

you, know,, criminally, charged, in, any, way. Um however in, speaking, with, the, detective, who worked on this for a long time, um, he absolutely believes that she was involved. In speaking with the first detective on the scene, uh, who you heard in the story, he absolutely believed that she was involved. And speaking with the detective who talked to her that night at the scene, she absolutely believed that that, you know Rebecca Schwarz was involved. She was uh shot in silhouette uh because she is you know, she works undercover now, but she, you know, certainly wanted to speak out, but that's why we only see her

in, shadow, and, her, hands., And, in, this clip, she's describing an odd moment that happened.

When, you, get, there,, were, you, one, of, the first officers on the scene? I, was, one, of, the, first, uh, to, arrive. Yeah. I exit my patrol vehicle um and make my way over to uh make contact with the complainant.

Okay., And, who, was, that? Uh, that, was, Rebecca, Schwarz., Rebecca, was very bubbly that night. So, she um immediately approached me, began to tell me that um she had arrived home, that she had not been home since earlier that morning.

Did, she, seem, nervous?, Did, she, seem upset? Um, in, the, traditional, sense,, nervous? No. Um I mean, of course, some people can react, you know, very differently to stress. Um she did not seem uh in the traditional sense nervous.

At, some, point, there's, a, call, that, comes over the radio. What was that call?

While, units, are, searching, in, in, the home, they do uh advise over the main radio channel that there was a deceased person located within the home.

They, found, a, body., Did, she, hear, that call? No,, she, did, not., I, was, wearing, an earpiece that night. Um so that's not something that she could hear.

At, some, point,, she, calls, her, son, Ben, and he comes to the house. Yes., Um,, Ben,, um,, Ben, had, some, very strange behaviors. I mean, obviously um, Rebecca's behaviors were not, um not typical of what you would see. Um Ben's were not either, which was also quite notable. Um, he was very, very nervous, very concerned with the amount of law enforcement presence. Um, and had, you know, had some concerns. And at one point he, you know, was like, "Can I speak to you?" And, you know, kind of abruptly asked her to, you know, go into private um and to, you know, a few steps away from our location and and speak with his mother.

Okay., And, she, says, something, at, that moment. Um, she, kind, of, did, a, like, a, a, laugh almost kind of like a a sound that was like, you know, and and says, uh there's probably a body in there. Um you know or there's probably a dead body in there. She said that about her house.

Um,, it, is, my, very, strong, belief, that, it was her at that point. They were kind of taking a few steps away from me and both of their backs um were positioned uh like uh their backs were facing me

but, she, says, it, like, almost, kind, of, with a giggle. Yes., Yes. Saying, that, she, thinks, there's, a, body inside.

Yes., There, something, to, the, effect, of, um you know there there's probably a dead body inside. What did you think when you heard that?

Um,, uh,, not, notable, for, sure., U,, very, you know, um, very strange. So,, she, had, a, pretty, good, indication right off the bat that there was something hinky going on in there.

Yeah., She, said, that, she, walked, away, from the scene that night thinking that Rebecca Schwarz had something to do with it. So, the verdict was what, $200 million that the jury awarded the family, which was its version, I guess of saying, "Yeah, we think something happened here." Um

absolutely., The, attorneys, for, the Schwarz family now say that they're having to go through this process of trying to track down that money, right? They say that they figure out where some of the assets are, but they're trying to figure out the LLC's, figure out these different ways that they can get it back. And for Carter, I mean, talking to him after the verdict, when we did our interview, it was shortly after that verdict, and he said, "Listen, the dollar amount doesn't matter. Number one, I just want my dad back. But it did feel good in some ways to have a jury at least say even not criminally, but say that they believe that she was responsible.

Does, it, feel, like, justice, to, him?, Does it feel like he got the answer he needed to get?

I, think, he, believes, that, they're partially there. Yeah., Is, there, a, chance, she, could, still be charged criminally?

You, know,, we, asked, Harpon, Springs., They say that the case is closed. If there is new evidence for anybody pointing to anybody's guilt, then the investigation could be reopened depending on what new evidence may arise.

Well,, we, shall, see., Anyway,, it's fascinating and was fascinating to watch. And then in the end, his son becomes a doctor, too. Same kind of doctor.

Crazy. He, does., You, know,, it, was, it, was, it, was fascinating to talk to Carter Schwarz. I am grateful to him for really opening up in the way that he did because it's very clear that he um he idolized his father. He thinks about the fact that were his father still here, they could be practicing side by side. He said that his father was the type of person who would not retire. He certainly could have retired. He was financially, you know, well off enough that he could have just hung up his white coat and been good. Uh but he really loved what he did. And so he says, "I didn't see my dad retiring. He's somebody who would have kept doing this thing for quite some time." And so he feels that if his father weren't killed, they would be practicing together. And he feels that he was robbed of of that opportunity as well.

That's, pretty, sad,, isn't, it?, Yeah., All right, I must uh go, but uh shortly you're going to be joined by Rob Buchanan, who's going to jump in for me and um Rob and Blaine will answer some of your questions from social media.

Can't, wait,, Keith., This, was, a, joy., Thank you. Guys, welcome back. Keith had to jump but I am now, of course, joined by super producer Rob Buchanan. Uh, yes, super producer indeed.

Because, by, my, count,, how, many, different locations did we have for this story Rob? Like seven, eight.

A, lot. 10, different, cities,, states,, countries. We, did., We, did., And, we, Yeah,, we, went halfway around the world for this story.

We, went, on, a, boat., I, mean,, there, were, a lot of different a, lot, a, lot, of, moving, parts, happening.

Yeah., But, I, I, I, think, that,, you, know, certainly in talking to people after they watched the episode and on social media, the story itself took as many different twists and turns as we did to cover the story, right? So, let's jump into some of these social media questions. Um, there are a lot and some of them are just statements. So, let's just let's just jump in. Rayford 512 says, "Couldn't she get in trouble for impersonating a doctor?"

Uh,, okay., So,, I'm, not, an, expert,, but, uh she if she had tried to uh treat someone or practice uh I she would have Yes. But uh she was just telling people besides the incident on the airplane, it was just she was telling uh friends and her husband's family that uh that she was a doctor,

right?, Um, you, know,, this, is, something that we heard from a lot of people and the question of why she wasn't why she never faced criminal charges. This is from Pat Estumis. I don't understand why Rebecca couldn't be tried in criminal court. Why?

Yeah., Yeah., Well,, uh, you, know,, according to the police, they just never felt uh and our our lead detective, Detective Devil, uh never felt that he had the evidence to bring to the prosecutors to say, "I think we can prosecute this case." And you know, the bar in in civil uh civil cases is lower uh for you're not you're not convicted, but found liable uh than it is in a criminal case. So, it is the preponderance of evidence if there are punitive damages, which is what the uh plaintiffs were requesting in this. Punitive damages are to punish the defendant and certainly $200 million verdict. I think the jury was sending a message.

Rob,, you, actually, had, an, encounter, with her in a courtroom on a completely different matter. That was an interesting story in and of itself.

Yes., Uh, we, actually, covered, uh, one, of the divorce hearings uh with Aaron Mashack uh her fourth husband. Uh uh and we had a camera there. Of course, we got the court's permission. We can't go in without that. Uh and she took the stand and she asked, "Who are these people?" Now, I cleared it with as to you, by the way.

Yes., Me,, me, and, the, cameraman., So,, there was a little break afterwards and I just went out uh and I saw her in the hallway and I went to just put my hand out to introduce myself because she didn't know who we were. The judge did tell her who we were at dine. Uh, and but I I got as far as putting my hand out and she said something along the lines like

"Don't, you, dare." And, I, felt, if, she, could, shoot, missiles out of her eyes, uh, I would been dead.

She, would, have, leveled, you. She, was, not, happy, to, meet, me., Had, no interest in meeting me. Um, which was which was fine.

Yeah. A, couple, of, people, wanted, to, know, about Dr. Schwarz and his money. Uh Kim Dalton said this on Instagram. It seems weird that Dr. Schwarz left nothing to his son and everything to Rebecca. Many years to hopefully get what Carter deserves. And Pat Dumis made the same kind of observation. The father didn't leave his son anything in the will.

Okay., So,, it's, it's, a, little, complicated and it's a reason we didn't include it in the report. Uh but more or less all of his assets were in a trust. So that wouldn't necessarily go through probate um and a will. As I understand from Carter, the the deal was that after both of them passed away, then the money would be uh uh uh spread among the the various children from both sides. There's a whole another story about that trust that we didn't get into. And as Blaine, you know, there is so much to this story that we were never uh unable to put on uh even with a two-hour program. But there's a lot more to this story. To give a shout out to my co-producer, me Jorgensson. Um, both of us came up with more acts, as we call them, than we could put on the program.

Uh, there's so much. Speaking, of, there, being, so, much, that, we couldn't dive into, I wish we could have gone more into Dr. Cook and everything that happened in Hobs, New Mexico. That was only one section of our story. We actually got a comment from someone who is related to Dr. Victor Cook

Anna, Raten,, who, said,, "My, husband's family is related to Dr. Cook. I'm more curious about his part of the story.

Yeah., I, I, mean, I, heard, actually, from Suzanne Nutting after our program aired who who we interviewed uh who's wishing for the same.

You, know, the, primary, focus, of, this program was on Dr. Schwarz. So uh I think uh we brought a little bit a flavor a little nugget um of who Dr. Cook was. Uh remembering that he passed away in 1961. And as I told Suzanne, I said, "Millions of people got to know a little bit about your uncle that didn't know about him before. Hopefully, you're able to do enough to to honor honor man." Because he he also seemed like a dear uh caring person

Rob., to, expand, on, that., I, think, that, I'm I'm just very grateful that we that Suzanne spoke to us and um

that, we, also, heard, from, James, Cecil because I do feel like hearing from people who were impacted by that crime and by his murder was so so important to you know also hear from that grieving side. We have a couple of audio questions. Um let's listen to some of those.

Sure. Hi,, this, is, Stephanie, calling, from Colorado Springs. I'm wondering if the civil judgment against Rebecca can be used as evidence in a future criminal trial. Thanks.

Good, question,, Stephanie. Uh,, sir,, any, certainly, anything, that came out in court uh you people under oath can certainly be used um in the criminal trial. And I I would assume that's one reason uh Rebecca's defense attorney didn't want her to testify in the civil trial because it could be used against her. So, uh, yes, the answer to that is yes.

Well,, we, heard, her, repeatedly, taking, the fifth in those first set of depositions.

But, the, other, piece, of, it,, too,, is, that it's such a fine line that her attorney has to walk because, yes, he wants to mount a strong defense of her here, but also not saying anything that could possibly tip the scales or be potentially incriminating to bring charges on the on the criminal side as well.

Right., And, we, know, that, the, police, said that yes, the case is closed now, but if there is any new evidence that comes forward

all, about, anybody, um they, could, reopen, the, investigation. There, is, no, statute, of, limitations, on murder. So

yeah. Yeah. Um, we, have, another, audio, question., Let's listen. This one is from Vanessa.

Absolutely. Hi, Talking, Dine., I, just, want, to, know, why does so many things happen in Florida? I'm watching a story about Dr. Schwarz. I watched something about the Adolf family last week with Dennis Murphy. What is in the water in Florida? Um again, my name is Vanessa. Thank you so much. Talking Dline, I love the show. I

Well,, Rob,, as, our, part-time, Florida, man, I'm gonna let you take that question.

I, like, that, question., I, happen, to, be, in Florida at the moment. Uh, so interesting. Uh, yes, there are three states. They are our our boss Liz Cole at one point. uh task someone to figure out where the most stories happened. And the top three, okay, here's our quiz. The top three at that time were Florida California, and Texas. So, for whatever reason, whatever's going in the water in those states, things like this happen but also they're very large population so you're going to get more stories and cases uh where you have more people.

Yeah., Very, interesting., Well,, this, one was certainly all over the place. And and Rob, I have to we talked about so much that essentially ended up on the cutting room floor, but also a number of conversations that were had that encounters that you had, conversations we had that never made it into the story. I do want to bring up one though. You actually spoke with one of Rebecca's biological sons, Ben Nichols.

Yes., I, I, had, several, conversations, with Ben, and Ben Ben told me he's more or less estranged from his mom. um he answered virtually every question I asked except for one. Do you think your mom was involved and and I expected you know an absolute no um to that and he said I don't know how I would answer that question which I found quite surprising and in itself uh says something.

Sure. Well, Rob, this, one, was, quite, an, episode. I mean this was this was our first dine episode together. my friend and it was certainly a memorable one.

Yes,, it, was., And, it, was, great, working with you. You're you're you're fantastic and I appreciate it and certainly a great addition to Dineine.

You, were, so, kind., Thank, you., It, was, so much fun working with you. This was great. I hope we do many more.

Absolutely., See, you, next, time. All, right. Well, that is it for Talking Dine this week. Thanks so much to all of you for listening. If there's a case that you want us to cover or if you have a question for our team, you can always reach out anytime on social datine NBC. You can also leave us a voicemail. Yes on a real telephone. That number is 2124135252. Or you can send us a voice memo in a DM. And of course, we will see you every Friday for an all new DLine on NBC.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Talking Dateline: “The Death of Dr. Schwartz" with Blayne Alexander and Keith Morrison | Dateline"?

Keith Morrison (Guest), Blayne Alexander (Host), Lara Scarpati (Guest), Rob Buchanan (Guest), Stephanie (Guest), Vanessa (Guest).

What is discussed in "Talking Dateline: “The Death of Dr. Schwartz" with Blayne Alexander and Keith Morrison | Dateline"?

In order: 0:00 Albania, Atlanta, Communist Rule, Hobbs, New Mexico; 5:00 Accessory after the fact, Plea Deal, Redemption; 10:00 Redemption, Carter Schwarz; 20:00 Carter Schwarz, Detective Devil, Instagram, Kim Dalton; 25:00 Vanessa, Ben Nichols, Civil Judgment, Colorado Springs; 30:00 Talking Dine.

What is mentioned in this Dateline NBC episode?

37 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Albania, Redemption, Rob Buchanan, Accessory after the fact, Plea Deal, Carter Schwarz. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Talking Dateline: “The Death of Dr. Schwartz" with Blayne Alexander and Keith Morrison | Dateline"?

The episode runs 31 min; the transcript is about 6,239 words in 105 timestamped sections.

More from Dateline NBC

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated November 17, 2025.