Two convicted murderers of a Burr Oak area native are now up for parole.
Rebecca Hauser, the daughter of Donald and Carol Schnitzler of rural Decorah, was slain in her car in rural central Iowa by a group of young men posing as law enforcement officers in October 1994. She was a 1980 graduate of North Winneshiek High School. The young wife and mother of twin daughters and two boys was residing near Union in Marshall County at the time of her death.
Back on Oct. 4, 1994, Hauser was driving home to her family. Four teenagers had put lights on top of their vehicle and were reportedly attempting to pull over cars to rob people. Hauser stopped, and then questioned their authority. She was brutally murdered on the roadway where she had stopped.
Two of the four teens charged in the murder, Derek Smith and Burt Smith, were 15 years old when they were convicted and sentenced on first-degree murder charges. They are currently serving their sentences at the Rockwell City Prison. They were originally sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.
A court re-sentenced them back in 2016 to life with possibility of parole, after the state supreme court ruled juvenile sentences without chance of parole were unconstitutional.
Nearly 30 years later, the Smith brothers have a parole hearing set for Sept. 20.
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Murder is murder,and age has nothing to do with it,it was against an innocent unarmed victim. Never let them out. Then all they have to worry about is God. Good luck
They should never see the light of day as free men as long as they live! Justice would be for them both to rot in prison for their entire worthless lives.
They have no right to be free
May they rot in prison for the rest of their lives!
No parole !!!!!
I think it’s wrong that they would be released on Parole. I remember when they murdered her I live in the area she was originally from knew her parents. Her children are still without a mother they don’t get her back if they are Paroled she remains gone forever and so they should remain in prison forever.
I remember that day and now by giving them a hearing your gonna put her children threw hell again by having to relive that nightmare. Why would the system do that to them. Haven’t they been threw enough for the last 30 yrs? Let them all rot in rockwell
They don’t need to get out. They knew what they were doing was wrong. Why don’t they ask the 4 kids that grew up without their mother!
I think they should be registered sex offenders for killing a young woman not even 21 yet.
Look they were wrong.. I understand that.have they asked everyone for forgiveness. And can they find them selfs they newit was wrong.. what’s next.. if reliised.. they should f ever wear monsters. I really don’t no… What it right anymore.. look at the world..
The concern is that if they were to be released would they rape or even kill again. Have they been rehabilitated as they say, do they have remorse??? I agree that they should make them address the grown children their views. Being locked up that many years from a young age would lead me to say no as they dont have any idea what being free is and its scarey to think how they would react. I have mixed emotions but as a mother I lean towards NO!!!! THEY WILL HURT SOMEONE AGAIN.