In the summer of 2017, the life of 28-year-old Angie Schroer came to a tragic and mysterious end in her Independence, Missouri, home. On June 21, just two days after her birthday, she was discovered deceased, seated on her couch with a single gunshot wound to her forehead. The authorities were quick to make a determination, with the Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office declaring her death a suicide within minutes of their arrival.
This swift conclusion, however, was just the beginning of a long and painful quest for answers for Angie's family, who firmly believe she was the victim of a brutal murder staged to look like a suicide.
The family's suspicions were immediately raised by a number of unsettling details surrounding the scene. They described Angie as having been beaten, with a broken nose and uprooted teeth, injuries they felt were inconsistent with a self-inflicted gunshot. Their doubts were further fueled by the presence of a man named Donald Greer in the home at the time of her death. Greer, who had a criminal record that included a conviction for criminally negligent homicide, claimed to have been asleep in the less than 500-square-foot house and heard nothing. This was contradicted by a neighbor who reported hearing the gunshot from his own home next door. Despite being a convicted felon in the presence of a firearm, Greer was not arrested.
In their relentless pursuit of what they believe to be justice for Angie, her family hired a private forensic examiner to review the case. The examiner highlighted several areas of concern, including the fact that a full autopsy was never performed, which could have revealed crucial evidence. Questions were also raised about the blood spatter patterns at the scene and the angle of the gunshot wound, which the family's expert suggested were indicative of another person being present and firing the weapon. The gun, they contend, was placed on her chest after the fact in a manner inconsistent with the blood flow.
Despite the family's public pleas and the evidence they have presented, the Independence Police Department has maintained that the case is a suicide and it is officially closed. No arrests have ever been made in connection with Angie Schroer's death. The man who was present at the scene, Donald Greer, has since passed away, taking with him any potential answers he may have held. For Angie's loved ones, the official explanation of her death remains a deeply flawed and unsatisfying conclusion to a life they believe was stolen from her.
