Scott Amedure
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Scott Bernard Amedure (January 26, 1963 – March 9, 1995) was an American man who became known after being murdered for revealing his homosexual attraction to his friend Jonathan Schmitz on The Jenny Jones Show.
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[edit] Early life
Scott was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. His father, Frank J. Amedure Sr., was a local tractor-trailer driver, and his mother, Patricia Graves/Amedure, was a housewife suffering from depression and poor health. In 1968, the family moved to Waterford, Michigan, and two years later, Frank Sr. and Patricia were divorced. Frank Sr. was a ventriloquist and magician, who also disguised as the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Frank Sr. did charity work, primarily entertaining and collecting toys for mentally ill, crippled and orphan children and Toys for Tots. Frank Sr. died of a lung cancer attributed to asbestos exposure shortly after the Civil trial.
After Scott's parents divorced the children were temporarily split up during a month long stay in foster homes. Scott primarily lived with his father along with his three older brothers and younger sister. At age 17, Scott quit high school to join the U.S. Army, where he finished his GED high school equivalency, and was trained in satellite communications. While assigned in Germany, he learned to ski, and broke his leg while skiing in Switzerland. Scott received an Honorable Discharge. After working several years in technical communications and telecommunications type jobs, he became a bartender. He took in several friends with AIDS, caring for them when others had shunned them. Scott's family was dysfunctional and experienced many financial hardships, loss and a variety of other difficult emotional life dramas.
[edit] Appearance on The Jenny Jones Show and the murder
On March 6, 1995, Scott was taped for an episode of the Jenny Jones Talk Show, in which he admitted to being a secret admirer of Jonathan Schmitz, who lived near him in Lake Orion, Michigan. Until the taping, Schmitz had no idea who his secret admirer was and he went out of curiosity, later claiming that the producers implied that his admirer was a woman. Schmitz would also later claim that Scott's homosexual overtures frightened him, and that the taping of the show, to be aired two weeks later, humiliated and angered him. Scott was not told that Jonathan expressed homophobic characteristics prior to the taping and was coerced into drinking alcohol in the Green Room prior to the taping. Jonathan was told that the title of the show was "Secret Admirers" but it was actually titled "Same Sex Secret Crushes". His consent to appear on the show did not disclose the actual show title nor did it disclose expected content.
Scott Amedure left an allegedly "suggestive" note in Schmitz's front door. On March 9, 1995, after finding the note, Schmitz withdrew money from the bank, purchased a shotgun, went back to his apartment parking lot as if to say good bye, and then went to Scott's mobile home. There he shot Scott twice in the chest and killed him. Gary Brady, the only witness, called 911 after Schmitz left. After killing Scott, Schmitz went to a gas station, called 911 and confessed to the killing and indicated that the Jenny Jones Show appearance was a reason. Schmitz was convicted of second degree murder and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years. Schmitz appealed and was found guilty of the same offences and the original sentence was handed down again.
As a result of the killing, the episode was never aired.
[edit] Wrongful death
In 1999, the Amedure family sued the Jenny Jones Show, Telepictures and Warner Brothers for the ambush tactics and their negligent role that led to Scott's death. In May 1999, the jury awarded the Amedures US$25 million. The jury found that the Jenny Jones Show was both irresponsible and negligent, contending that the show intentionally created an explosive situation without due concern for the possible consequences.
The award was later overturned by the Michigan Court Of Appeals in a 2 to 1 decision [1]. The Michigan Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeals.
