CRUEL FATE: Carole Schaer should not have been at work
By EDITH BEVIN, MATT WILLAIMS, JAIME MORGAN and CHRIS SALTER
19nov04
CAROLE Schaer had planned not to be at work when divorce papers were served on her estranged husband.
Expecting the papers to be served today, she had planned a holiday to Port Lincoln with her partner of six years, Peter Upton.
The papers were delivered on Tuesday – four days earlier than she expected.
The next morning, Ms Schaer was gunned down, allegedly by her estranged husband, Simon Schaer, while she was at work in Myer's city store.
Mr Upton told The Advertiser they had planned to marry in a small ceremony in January.
He said he fell for the 61-year-old Myer saleswoman when he was buying a wallet just before Father's Day, 1998.
"I just fell in love with her bubbly personality and good looks," Mr Upton said.
"She's lived with me for most of the past six years.
"She's left a big hole here."
Friends said that Ms Schaer, and Mr Schaer, 69, had separated about eight years ago.
Mr Upton said they had not had any contact or problems with Schaer during their relationship.
"I've never met him – I wouldn't know him if I saw him," Mr Upton said.
"We were going to Lincoln for a week to let the papers be delivered and let things rest and then we were planning marriage in January.
"The papers were served on him the day before (he allegedly shot her) – someone made a mistake, they served the papers too early."
Schaer appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday charged with Ms Schaer's murder. He had spent the night in police custody in the nearby City Watch House.
He showed no emotion in court yesterday.
During his brief appearance before Magistrate Richard Brown, Schaer looked straight ahead and listened intently. He was remanded in police custody to reappear in court early next year.
Former neighbours of the Schaers, Gordon and Gail Baxter, of Kings Park, said they were shocked when they opened The Advertiser yesterday morning.
"I thought when we saw it on the television yesterday that it might be her, but they didn't mention her last name or his name," Mr Baxter said.
"We just can't believe it. They were such a lovely couple."
Mrs Baxter said they called Simon the "gentle giant".
"He was always willing to help neighbours around the house. He helped us fix our garage and he was a lover of animals."
The Baxters moved interstate for four years and when they returned, Mr and Mrs Schaer had moved out.
"Not only was she a physically beautiful lady, she was such a wonderful person too. She was always happy to have a chat and offer her help whenever the need arose.
"It's very sad."
Friend of more than 20 years Fay Mason said Ms Schaer was a "beautiful person".
"She was not only a beautiful woman physically – she also had a beautiful personality," Ms Mason said yesterday.
"She really was a very sweet person, very vulnerable – she was a very forgiving person."
Schaer had been teaching at the South Australian Woodcarving Academy. Friends said they were surprised at the shooting.
"I didn't even realise that he had a wife," one friend said.
"He never gave any signs of having those sort of problems – he was just a really happy guy."
Schaer had left his two rottweilers in the care of a former student, telling her just hours before the shooting that he was going on holidays.
© Advertiser Newspapers Pty Limited
No comments:
Post a Comment