Gunman issued chilling threat before shooting motorcyclist dead and setting him alight

In an argument over a 'stolen' motorcycle, a 60-year-old California man was found guilty of making horrific threats before shooting an acquaintance , setting him on fire, beating him with a pipe, and slamming a door.

Steven Ronald Schlapia, 60, was convicted on Wednesday of the brutal murder of Jimmy Wade Schwerdt, aged 47. According to online court records, Schlapia was found guilty on counts of first-degree murder , torture and mayhem, as well as charges that include assault with a semiautomatic firearm, arson, felon in possession of a firearm, and ammunition possession.

Shelly Kafel, the Shasta County Superior Deputy District Attorney, recounted the horrific events during the trial proceedings, reports KRCTV . They unfolded starting on the morning of March 15, 2022, after Schlapia supposedly stole Schwerdt's motorbike.

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After Schwerdt realized his attempts to retrieve his motorcycle through calls and texts was futile, he made his way to Schlapia's residence in the remote area of Fernie Way, situated outside Redding over 200 miles north from San Francisco.

When Schwerdt arrived to get his bike back, Schlapia viciously attacked Schwerdt, shooting him, setting his body ablaze, bashing him with a pipe, and crushing him with a door.

In a pivotal moment during the trial, the prosecution presented a video taken by a neighbor that showed Schlapia making threats before committing the vicious acts, according to Law and Crime . The distressing footage captured Schlapia telling the man who came to claim his property back: "I hope you die...I hope it feels good...." Then he uttered, "I'm going to kill you and your family."

Shasta County Superior Deputy District Attorney Shelly Kafel claimed that an enraged Schlapia knowingly and willingly shot Schwerdt four times, then physically and mentally tortured him before shooting him dead with a single bullet to the back of his head. He then doused the body in petrol and set it alight.

Defence Attorney Michael Borges countered that Schwerdt had previously threatened Schlapia and had arrived at his home armed and with malicious intent. Borges argued that Schlapia was terrified, feared for his life, and fired in self-defense.

He insisted that the defendant acted reasonably under intense emotional distress and that the appropriate verdict would be voluntary manslaughter, not first-degree murder. He suggested that injuries to Schwerdt's face and head occurred when he fell against a tractor.

In her closing statement, Kafal argued that the injuries sustained were consistent with a beating, dismissing the defense's argument as "nonsense." She noted that no firearm was ever discovered in or around Schwerdt's vicinity.

Schlapia, who used a cane to reach the witness stand, claimed he is disabled and spends his time working on motorcycles and vehicles. He recounted meeting the deceased, Jimmy Schwerdt, about a year prior to his death outside a sandwich shop in Redding, where they bonded over their shared interest in Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

The two became familiar with each other, with Schlapia painting Schwerdt as someone who frequently sought to get high, revealing they both had used methamphetamine the night before Schwerdt's demise. Schlapia alleged that Schwerdt turned aggressive when he refused to fix his motorcycle immediately.

He narrated how his Corvette broke down at Schwerdt's place, leading him to borrow Schwerdt's bike to return home in the early hours of March 15, 2022. Visibly emotional at times, Schlapia claimed that Schwerdt had arrived at his house under the cover of darkness and threatened him with a gun, prompting him to shoot Schwerdt.

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Schlapia repeatedly stated he couldn't remember or questioned the audio in a video that Kafel suggested sounded like Schlapia hurling obscenities at Schwerdt, including the chilling words, "I hope it feels good. You're done, and I'm going to kill your family."

Schlapia admitted he extinguished the flames after several minutes, proceeded to cover the body with a wooden door bearing a vulgar message, and subsequently left the scene. He was later detained by deputies a couple of miles from his residence, where he initially identified himself using his brother's name and kept silent about the horrifying incident.

The victim's parents, Jim and Nancy Schwerdt, expressed relief at the verdict to the Redding Record-Searchlight through their family friend Mike Moynahan. Moynahan relayed Nancy Schwerdt's feelings: "She said, 'This is a conclusion that will allow Jim and me to sleep at night.' And so this was a big deal."