Authorities say he did not resist arrest and agreed to a DNA swabbing.
Gillis was arrested at his home on Burgin Road around 1:20 a.m. But when asked if he would ever like to confront his wife's accused killer, he says "No, there's nothing the person could say to make him understand." Schmidt says he's glad police have captured the man they believe is guilty. Schmidt says, "You know you always have to be careful, but I think the police appear to be taking great pains to be sure that they have the right fact and the right person." Schmidt admits that at first, he wasn't really sure that police had the right man. Schmidt says his late night conversation with police answered that question and many more - leaving him first upset, but now, relieved. Questions like how Hardee, who was a wonderful runner, could have been chased down on foot. Since then, her family has been living with countless unanswered questions. It's been nearly five years since 52-year-old Schmidt got up for an early morning jog and never returned home. I was happy that finally, we're getting an idea of what happened," said Schmidt. Both Phares and Baton Rouge Police Chief Pat Englade say the investigation will not be limited and they will go back as far as they can to determine exactly how many murders are linked to Gillis. While authorities won't talk about any specific cases, Lieuntenant Colonel Greg Phares says investigators will continue to look into the possibility of Gillis's involvement in other unsolved murders in the Baton Rouge Metro and surrounding areas. Sources tell 9-News he has confessed to eight. Gillis is now officially charged with the murders of five women. Her body was found June 1st-two days after her murder. James Parish and dump Hardee's body into a bayou. According to that affidavit, Gillis waited until the next day to drive to Highway 61 in St. The affidavit says Gillis then placed her dead, naked body into the trunk of his vehicle and drove to his house. Gillis then forced her into his vehicle, drove to a park in the Highland Road area, removed her clothes and sexually assaulted her. It says Gillis got out of his vehicle armed with heavy duty wire plastic wrap, placed the wrap around her neck and pulled it tight. The affidavit says he hit her with his vehicle and knocked her into a ditch. It was about 5:30 in Sunday morning, when Gillis was driving on Quail Run Drive and first saw Hardee jogging. It says that in May of 1999, Gillis saw Hardee jogging in the south Baton Rouge area and then spent the following three weeks driving around the area looking for her. The arrest affidavit sheds new light on both crimes. Gillis now has additional charges of first degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and stalking in the Hardee Schmidt case and first degree murder in the Ann Bryan case. Detectives say Hardee was abducted while jogging in the Perkins Road/Quail Run area on May 30, 1999.
The description of what the killer did to Hardee Schmidt is far more graphic. The warrant says Gillis gave them details about this elderly woman's death only the killer could know. Gillis then told detectives he cut her throat to stop her screaming and began stabbing her. The warrant says Gillis told detectives he entered Ann Bryan's home to rape the 81 year old, but she started screaming when he touched her. James Place in the early morning of March 21st, 1994. Those confessions include graphic details described in arrest warrants released Friday.Īccording to the arrest warrant, Gillis told detectives he went to St. The coroner's office says she also showed signs of drowning.Īuthorities are now testing evidence in the murders to which Gillis has confessed. Lillian had been strangled and thrown off from bridge. Months later, someone found her body in the Atchafaylaya Basin near Whiskey Bay, just two miles from where Pam Kinamore's body was recovered. Lillian Robinson turned up missing in January of 2000. Detectives have conclusively connected Gillis to these three murders through a voluntary DNA sample. Gillis was arrested Thursday and charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of ritualistic acts in the murders of 29-year-old Katherine Hall, 45-year-old Johnnie May Williams and 43-year-old Donna Bennett Johnston.
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