In the small community of Decker, Indiana, the life of 46-year-old John 'Doug' Lowe came to a violent end on May 3, 2017. He was discovered deceased inside his apartment, the victim of a fatal shooting. The subsequent investigation into his death quickly led law enforcement to two men from the nearby city of Princeton.
Authorities arrested 41-year-old Jeremy Schatz and 27-year-old Christopher Schatz, charging both with murder in connection with Lowe's death.
The men were taken into custody and booked at the Knox County Jail. As the case unfolded, peculiar and unusual details emerged regarding the motive behind the crime. Both Jeremy and Christopher Schatz claimed that they were acting on orders they had received from the Department of Justice.
According to court documents, Jeremy Schatz informed investigators that his co-defendant, Christopher Schatz, had received an email from the DOJ. This email allegedly contained a directive to kill Lowe. The purported reason for this order was Lowe's refusal to accept a job with the federal agency and a fear that he would testify against it. While both men admitted to being present at the time of the shooting, they each pointed the finger at the other as the one who fired the fatal shot.
In May of 2018, a development in the case occurred when Christopher Schatz Jr. entered into a plea agreement. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison, with 15 of those years suspended to probation. He was also given credit for the time he had already served. As part of his plea deal, it was stipulated that he might be required to provide testimony against Jeremy Schatz.
