Mollie Schmidt, a 33-year-old mother of five, was reported missing from her Plainfield Township home on August 21, 2022. Her disappearance was considered uncharacteristic by her friends and family, as she had left her children behind. Investigators with the Kent County Sheriff's Department quickly identified Yenly Garcia, a 44-year-old Wyoming resident, as a person she might be with. The investigation led authorities to Garcia's apartment in the 1500 block of 44th Street Southwest.
On August 30, 2022, after executing a search warrant, police discovered Mollie Schmidt's body inside the apartment. She had been fatally shot.
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety launched a homicide investigation, naming Yenly Garcia as a person of interest. Garcia had a significant and violent criminal history, including a prior conviction for kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon. Following the discovery of Schmidt's body, Garcia fled and an arrest warrant for open murder was issued. Authorities also revealed that Garcia had attempted to use Schmidt's credit cards after she was reported missing. His whereabouts were unknown for a short period, and it was believed he might have ties to Miami, Florida.
Through a collaborative effort involving U.S. Marshals and Mexican authorities, Yenly Garcia was located and apprehended in Mexico. He was extradited back to Michigan in September 2022 to face charges in connection with Mollie Schmidt's death. The charges against him included homicide, open murder, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Investigators found a shotgun and an AR-15 rifle in a nightstand near where Schmidt's body was discovered.
In August 2023, Yenly Garcia accepted a plea deal and pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and a firearms charge. As a result of his plea, he was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison. During the sentencing, family members remembered Mollie Schmidt as a good mother and an amazing person who was always willing to help others.
