A summer camping trip at Maquoketa Caves State Park in Iowa took a tragic turn on the morning of July 22, 2022, for the Schmidt family from Cedar Falls. Six-year-old Lula Schmidt, a White female, was killed inside her family's tent alongside her parents, Tyler and Sarah Schmidt, both 42 years old. The family's nine-year-old son, Arlo, was the sole survivor of the horrific attack. Authorities were alerted to the triple homicide by a phone call shortly before 6:30 a.m. and arrived to find the devastating scene within the park's campground.
An investigation into the killings immediately led to a search for a camper who was unaccounted for. This individual was identified as 23-year-old Anthony Orlando Sherwin of La Vista, Nebraska. A short time later, law enforcement discovered Sherwin's body in a wooded area of the park, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation subsequently named Sherwin as the perpetrator of the attack on the Schmidt family.
Autopsies later revealed the brutal nature of the murders. Lula died from a combination of a gunshot wound and strangulation. Her father, Tyler, had been shot multiple times and stabbed, while her mother, Sarah, died from multiple stab wounds. Investigators have stated that all evidence indicates Sherwin acted alone. While authorities have mentioned they have an idea as to the motive, they have not publicly disclosed it, and there is no known prior relationship between Sherwin and the Schmidt family. The incident has been described as a random and senseless act of violence.
