Scott Amedure
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Scott Bernard Amedure (January 26, 1963, – March 9, 1995) was an American man who became known after being murdered for revealing his homosexual attraction to his friend Jonathan Schmitz on The Jenny Jones Show, a tabloid talk show.
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[edit] Biography
Scott Amedure was born in Pittsburgh, PA. Father, Frank J. Amedure Sr., was a local tractor-trailer driver. Mother, Patricia Graves/Amedure, was a housewife suffering from depression and poor health. In 1968, the mother, father and children: Frank Jr., Michael, Wayne, Scott and a baby girl Tina moved to Waterford, Michigan. Two years later, Frank Sr. and Patricia were divorced. Frank Sr. later married Nina Perczek, divorced and married Jean McDermott whom he spent the rest of his life with. Frank Sr. was a ventriloquist and magician, who also disguised as the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus seasonally. Frank Sr. did charity work, primarily entertaining and collecting toys for mentally ill, crippled and orphan children and Toys for Tots. Frank Sr. died of a lung cancer attributed to asbestos exposure shortly after the Civil trial. Frank Sr. also had 3 daughters from a previous failed marriage, Vicky, Toni and Cheri all residing in Pittsburgh, PA. The family believes that his father contributed to his love of clowns and of children. Scott collected clowns and prior to death had investigated clown college.
After Scott's parents divorced the children were temporarily split up during a month long stay in foster homes. Subsequently, Scott and his 3 older brothers Frank Jr., Michael, Wayne and younger sister Tina primarily lived with their father. Frank Sr. was primarily a single parent for many years with the assistance of live-in housekeepers. At age 17, Scott quit high school to join the U.S. Army, where he finished his GED high school equivalency, and was trained in satellite communications. While assigned in Germany, he learned to ski, and broke his leg while skiing in Switzerland. Shortly after receiving an Honorable Discharge. Wayne and Scott were best of friends, only one year age difference. Scott enlisted into the Army Reserves with his brother Wayne and served together throughout the term. Both were Honorably Discharged.
After working several years in technical communications and telecommunications type jobs, he became a bartender. He took in several friends with AIDS, caring for them when others had shunned them. Scott's family was dysfunctional but loving. They experienced many financial hardships, loss and a variety of other difficult emotional life dramas including the so-called Jenny Jones Show Murder and the aftermath.
[edit] Appearance on The Jenny Jones Show and murder
On March 6, 1995, Scott was taped for an episode of the Jenny Jones Talk Show, in which he admitted to being a secret admirer of Jonathan Schmitz, who lived near him in Lake Orion, Michigan. Until the taping, Schmitz had no idea who his secret admirer was and he went out of curiosity, and it was later claimed that the producers implied that his admirer was a woman[1] [2]. Schmitz would also later claim that Scott's homosexual overtures frightened him, and that the taping of the show, to be aired two weeks later, humiliated and angered him. Scott was not told that Jonathan expressed homophobic characteristics prior to the taping and was coerced into drinking alcohol in the Green Room prior to the taping.[citation needed] Jonathan was told that the title of the show was "Secret Admirers" but it was actually titled "Same Sex Secret Crushes".[citation needed] His consent to appear on the show did not disclose the actual show title nor did it disclose expected content.[citation needed]
According to the testimony at the murder trial, Scott Amedure left a "suggestive" note at Schmitz's house [3]. On March 9, 1995, after finding the note, Schmitz withdrew money from the bank, purchased a shotgun, went back to his apartment parking lot as if to say good bye, and then went to Scott's mobile home. There he shot Scott twice in the chest and killed him. Gary Brady, the only witness, called 911 after Schmitz left. After killing Scott, Schmitz went to a gas station, called 911 and confessed to the killing and indicated that the Jenny Jones Show appearance was a reason. As a result of the killing, the episode was never aired.
[edit] Wrongful death
In 1999, the Amedure family sued The Jenny Jones Show, Telepictures, and Warner Brothers for the ambush tactics and their negligent role that led to Scott's death. Time Warner's defense attorney claimed that if the case was to go forward that it would cause a chilling effect on the industry. Judge Gene Schnelz responded by saying "so be it" as he had concluded there was such a duty in a 21 page report.
In May 1999, the jury awarded the Amedures US$25 million. The jury found that the Jenny Jones Show was both irresponsible and negligent, contending that the show intentionally created an explosive situation without due concern for the possible consequences.
The award was later overturned by the Michigan Court of Appeals in a 2 to 1 decision [4].
The Michigan Supreme Court would not hear the case and it is believed to be due to bias (see official document): [5].
