TULSA - His eyes tell their own story; one of pride, admiration and eventually a heartless demise.
“I never could figure out why, I still have that question, why did that happen?" said Terry Schmidt's Father Gene Schmidt.
His son, murdered for doing what he did his entire life, never backing down from anything.
“Terry Schmidt and two other of his friends were eating at TGI Fridays at 61st and Memorial, and it was about 1:30 in the afternoon," said TPD Detective Eddie Major's of the Cold Case Division.
Terry lived to fly as a marine, and working for American Airlines.
That night, taking two co-workers out to dinner.
“One of the friends went one way, and Terry and another friend went another way heading to their cars to leave," he said.
He and his friends had just left when they noticed something suspicious, a car circling the parking lot that left them dead in their tracks.
“As they were about to approach their cars this car stopped, and the guy got out pulled, a gun on him and demanded money.”
“I wish he would’ve simply said 'here, take it go,'" his father said.
But he didn't.
Instead, refusing and fighting one of the men that quickly turned into three.
“During the struggle they heard a gunshot and the guys jumped in the car," said Detective Majors.
The suspects ditched the car and weapon police later found were stolen nearby; while Terry fought once more, this time for his life.
“The doctor said there was no more hope after giving him 47 pints of blood, they tried to save him and do the best they could," his father said.
He died at 10:30 the next morning.
“I was completely devastated."
Gene left empty like the place that now sits where his son met his fate.
“There’s a period of time for about 3 days that I absolutely have no memory.”
His oldest boy taking a piece of his heart with him.
“I was always afraid he would burn up in an aircraft, but I never did think he would come back to his home and be killed here.”
Terry was fearless, a decorated true marine who had faced far bigger enemies before.
A shrine to him and his life's work sitting in the foyer.
The thought of him still filling his father with tears and pride.
“It’s a sad situation that one day your loved one’s here and everything’s nice and great, next thing you know due to someone’s craziness or lack of decency tries to rob somebody and then kills him," said Detective Majors.
Terry's case sits among the other unsolved crimes in his office.
“How can you live with yourself knowing that you know someone died at the hands of someone else and say nothing?
This case just a phone call or tip away from being solved.
His suspect and suspected witnesses still alive and around.
“Maybe not in my lifetime, but when he meets his maker it will come out.”
So, while the end of Captain Terry Schmidt's life was written by a stranger...
“And I thought about it, but I keep coming to the conclusion that I cannot forgive that person.”
His father refuses to let another steal his legacy.
If you have any information on this case you're asked to call crime stoppers at 918-596-COPS.
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