A Crush Revealed on a TV Talk Show Ends in Murder

ROCHESTER, Mich. —  Scott Amedure surprised a heterosexual man by revealing a crush on him during a taping for the Jenny Jones talk show. Three days later, he was shot dead, and police said the object of his affection admitted the killing.

Jonathan T. Schmitz, 24, was arraigned Friday on charges of first-degree murder and using a firearm in a felony. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf and he was ordered held without bail pending another hearing April 4.

Producers said the tape is not scheduled for broadcast.

Police said Schmitz had called them moments after Thursday’s shooting and surrendered.

Sheriff’s Lt. Bruce Naile said Schmitz was angry because producers of the “Secret Admirers” segment had told him his secret suitor was a woman.

He “came out on stage before a studio audience, and there was a woman sitting there that he knew,” Naile said. “He figured she was his secret admirer and walked up and kissed her. But then they told him, ‘Oh, no, she’s not your secret admirer, this is’--and out walked Scott Amedure.

Schmitz said that his experience on the show had “eaten away” at him, police said, and that the final provocation was an unsigned note he found at his home Thursday that he assumed was left by Amedure.

After finding the note, the suspect bought a shotgun and ammunition, went to Amedure’s home, and shot him twice in the chest, Naile said.