Midnight Trace

July 2003 — Timothy Schuster, a healthcare administrator from Clovis, California, was in the middle of a contentious divorce from his estranged wife, Larissa Schuster, a successful biochemist.

The separation had become increasingly hostile, with disputes over money, property, and custody of their children. According to prosecutors, Larissa stood to lose a significant portion of her assets in the divorce and had become obsessed with preventing that from happening.

On July 10, Timothy failed to show up for a breakfast meeting and never arrived to pick up his son later that day. Friends and family immediately knew something was wrong. As concern grew, investigators began looking into his disappearance.

What detectives eventually uncovered was shocking.

According to court testimony, Larissa and her coworker, James Fagone, carried out a plan to abd*ct Timothy. Prosecutors said Timothy was lured from his condominium, incapac*tated with chl*roform and a stun g*n, and placed into a 55-gallon barrel. The pair then attempted to destroy evidence by using hydrochl*ric acid to diss*lve his bo*dy. The gruesome effort to conceal the crime would later earn Larissa the nickname “The Acid Lady.”

The case broke open when investigators questioned Fagone. During interrogation, he confessed and described what had happened. He directed authorities to a storage unit where they found the barrel containing Timothy’s rem**ns. The discovery transformed a missing-person case into one of California’s most notorious m**der investigations.

Prosecutors argued that financial gain was the motive. Evidence presented at trial included threatening messages Larissa had left for Timothy and testimony that she had previously discussed having him k**led. Investigators also noted her unusually calm behavior after Timothy disappeared, including taking planned vacations while the search for him was underway.

In 2006, James Fagone was convicted of first-degree m**der and sentenced to life in prison without parole. In 2007, Larissa Schuster was found guilty of first-degree m**der with the special circumstance of financial gain. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2008.

Follow for chilling stories, cold cases, and strange mysteries. 🔍