Teenager charged with sword murder of scientist father

A grand jury has indicted a Virginia teenager on charges of murder and solicitation to murder over the killing of her DNA scientist father who was stabbed to death with a sword.

Clara Schwartz, 19, of Leesburg, had tried for months to persuade someone to kill 57-year-old Robert Schwartz, according to the indictment.

Three of her friends who shared an interest in fantasy and the occult were indicted earlier on murder and conspiracy charges. Kyle Hulbert, 18, allegedly told detectives he attacked the biophysicist with a 27-inch sword because Clara Schwartz said her father had tried to hurt her.

Hulbert had a history of mental illness. Also implicated were Katherine Inglis, 19, and Michael Pfohl, 21. All the suspects were held in custody pending their trial.

According to testimony and court documents, Clara Schwartz, the youngest of three children, told friends that her father had poisoned food she ate. She allegedly discussed the slaying with Hulbert using coded e-mail messages and sent him $60 (€60) cheque to buy gloves and a head covering so no evidence would be left at the scene.

Biophysicist Mr Schwartz worked at a technology centre and was a respected researcher in DNA sequencing. His daughter was a student at James Madison University.

James Connell, one of Clara Schwartz’s lawyers, claimed prosecutors had ‘‘no unified theory of what happened. ... They just want to throw it against the wall and see what sticks.’’