Schwartz trial begins

The trial of a former JMU student charged with conspiring to murder her father began Monday in Loudoun County.

According to an Oct. 9 article in The Washington Post, Clara Schwartz, 20, allegedly asked a former boyfriend to murder her father, 57-year-old biophysicist Robert Schwartz, who died Dec. 8, 2001 at his home.

Clara Schwartz has been held on charges of murder, two counts of solicitation to commit murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Patrick House, 21, testified Tuesday that he and Schwartz participated in fantasy role-playing called "Underworld, " in which his character was to kill Robert Schwartz. House said while he thought the conversations were fantasy, he later became convinced that Schwartz was talking about real life, the article said. Prosecutors said she recruited another friend, Kyle Hulbert, 18, to kill her father, according to article.

Defense attorneys argued that Hulbert 's history of mental instability caused him to act on his own, misinterpreting his interactions with Schwartz.

According to article, Katherine Inglis, 19, also was associated with the killing and testified Tuesday in return for prosecutors dropping her murder charge. Inglis still faces a lesser charge of conspiracy to commit murder.