LINCOLN CITY – A transient who shot and fatally injured 52-year-old Scott E. Church on May 19 apparently knew him and told police he was driving by, was “tired of seeing people get destroyed by meth,” rolled down his window and shot Church twice.
Church, who was living on Southwest 51st Street in the Taft area of Lincoln City, was shot early the morning of May 19, taken to a Salem hospital where he died Sunday.
Justin R. Schmeidel, 43, who is listed as a transient in court documents, was originally charged with assault, unlawful use of a weapon and pointing a firearm at another person. After Church’s death, a Lincoln County grand jury on Tuesday indicted Schmeidel of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter, Lincoln City police said Wednesday.
In a probable cause affidavit filed in circuit court, Officer Joshua Lane said when he took Schmeidel into custody about 4:45 a.m. May 19 the suspect told him he was driving on Southwest 51st Street “saw Scott, rolled down his window and popped him” with his revolver.
Lane wrote that Schmeidel told him that he believed Church “was corrupting females in the area” and “tired of seeing people get destroyed by meth.”
Court records show that Church was homeless at times and cited four times since 2022 for failing to register as a sex offender and twice cited for possession of methamphetamine. Church was last charged March 3 with failing to report and possessing methamphetamine but was “force released” from the Lincoln County jail March 12. Church was awaiting trial in June when he died.
Lincoln City police said their investigation is continuing and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Bud Lane or Detective John Goodman at 541-994-3636.
The guy with the gun has no right to act like God. I worked with Scott the last few years through our resource center. Yeah he was rough around the edges but he always treated our establishment and other guests with the utmost respect. Sometimes he brought bags of groceries to share with whoever was there. I just saw him last week as I was walking my dog, he was repacking his bicycle. We talked for a bit, laughed a little, same old Scott. God has a way of paying back evil deeds.