Former firefighter found guilty of murdering wife

UNDATED (WSAU) Former Appleton fire-fighter Scott Schmidt was found guilty last night of shooting and killing his wife, and wounding his mother-in-law.

A jury of Portage County residents deliberated four hours before convicting the 39-year-old Schmidt of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Kelly Wing Schmidt outside their home last April. The jury also found Schmidt guilty of a lesser charge in the wounding of Barbara Wing. That conviction was for reckless endangerment instead of attempted homicide. Schmidt faces life in prison when he’s sentenced on May seventh, but the judge can set a date for a supervised release.

Schmidt testified that he was trying to save his marriage when he went to see Kelly, after she arranged a weekend trip with her boyfriend. But the couple argued, and he shot her three times outside their home. Her mother was wounded while confronting Schmidt. He did not deny killing his wife. But his lawyer Greg Petit claimed it was not intentional, and he had sought a lesser conviction for reckless homicide. Petit refused comment after the verdict.

Outagamie County District Attorney Carrie Schneider said the Wing family was happy with the outcome – but nobody wins because five children are dealing with the loss of a mother.