In the quiet, early morning hours of November 2, 2022, the sense of peace in a Bohemia, New York, neighborhood was shattered by an act of violence that claimed the life of 49-year-old Michael Hartmann. A husband and father, Hartmann was in the familiar comfort of his own backyard on Smithtown Avenue when two individuals Trespassed onto his property. It was approximately 6:35 a.m. when multiple gunshots rang out, with one fatally striking Hartmann.
Despite being grievously wounded, he managed to make his way back into his house, where his daughter, a recent nursing school graduate, tragically performed CPR in a desperate attempt to save him. Sadly, his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into Hartmann's shocking murder continued for nearly two years. Then, in July 2024, a major breakthrough was announced by the Suffolk County Police Department. Two men, 22-year-old Oliver Schor of Miller Place and 28-year-old Christopher Fernandez of Sound Beach, were arrested and charged with his murder. Schor was apprehended in Lexington, South Carolina, and awaited extradition to New York, while Fernandez was taken into custody on Long Island.
In August 2024, both Schor and Fernandez were indicted on charges of second-degree murder and other related offenses. Prosecutors revealed that the two men, armed with rifles, had descended on Hartmann's home with the intent to enter through the back door. They encountered Hartmann in his yard, at which point Schor allegedly opened fire, killing him. The two then fled the scene in a vehicle belonging to Schor's mother. Authorities believe the shooting was a tragic case of mistaken identity, adding a layer of senselessness to the family's profound loss. As the legal process moves forward, the case against Schor and Fernandez will proceed through the court system, with both men remanded in custody pending trial.
