She was once a cop and a Playboy Bunny… however was once she a killer? Bambi Bembenek was once jailed for murdering her husband’s ex earlier than escaping and going at the run. Forty years on, sleuths are casting doubt on her guilt

She was once some of the glamorous convicted murderers the sector had ever observed. 

Blonde, horny, a former Playboy bunny and the peak of a runway type at 5’10 – Lawrencia ‘Bambi’ Bembenek commanded each and every room she walked into along with her just right seems to be. 

And so when Lawrencia, recognized extra frequently as Laurie, was once arrested and put at the stand for fatally taking pictures her police detective husband’s ex-wife, she become the centre of a media circus that quickly resulted in her getting interviewed on Oprah. 

On 28 May 1981, at 2am within the morning, Christine Schultz and her two younger sons had been napping when any individual broke into their area on Ramsey Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

She was once tied up, shot within the again and left to die face down in her personal mattress as her terrified youngsters heard their mom’s final phrases: ‘Please do not do this!’

Laurie – who died from liver failure in 2010 – was once arrested nearly a month after the brutal killing and was once later discovered to blame by way of a jury, receiving a existence sentence at simply 23 years previous. She was once despatched to Taycheedah Women’s Prison in Fond du La – from the place she later ran away along with her lover in a cinematic-like jail get away.

Her gripping tale was once instructed at the Apple podcast ‘Run, Bambi, Run‘, with American journalist and host Vanessa Grigoridadis. She interviewed individuals who knew Laurie and mavens who had been aware of the case, at the side of the usage of snippets from the actual trial within the 80s. 

But did she kill Christine Schultz? Laurie’s case remains to be leaving other people divided 40 years on on account of a barrage of conflicting proof.

Growing up in a Polish-American neighbourhood of Milwuakee, Wisconsin, Laurie was once the very best Catholic girl.

She were given directly As in school and practised enjoying the flute each and every night time. She  dreamed of going to University however her oldsters didn’t need to fund her. 

So she discovered paintings as a type and took categories in model vending from a business faculty earlier than  signing as much as the police power, following in her father’s footsteps.

She had observed a newspaper ad that the dep. was once encouraging ladies and minorities to use for roles. 

But when Laurie stepped into the station enquiring concerning the ad in March 1980,  she was once instructed by way of a policeman: ‘A sexy little factor such as you needs to be a large unhealthy policeman?’.

Undeterred by way of the sexism of the police within the eighties, Laurie soldiered on and joined up, in the end incomes her nickname Bambi by way of every other cop all over coaching. 

Kris Radish, Laurie’s biographer and good friend, instructed the podcast: ‘Somebody checked out her and stated: “Oh look at her. Her eyes are as big as deer. I’m going to call her Bambi”. Oh she completely hated the nickname. Just completely hated it.’

After passing her checks, Laurie began turning into an increasing number of pleasant with native reporters and would regularly inform tales concerning the ‘darkish facet’ of the Milwaukee Police Department to them.

She instructed journalist Timothy Maier the whole lot she noticed all over her time as a cop and claimed she witnessed officials promoting porn from the auto trunks, seeing their girlfriends whilst their better halves concept they had been at paintings, napping of their automobiles whilst at the evening shift or even stated some used needless power on suspects in handcuffs. 

This made her, one among handiest 11 ladies at the power, unpopular with many officials.

But she did befriend  her colleague Judy Zess  – a friendship that in the end resulted in her downfall at the power.     

Judy – who passed on to the great beyond in 2018 – was once stated to have lit up a hashish joint on the gig whilst Laurie went to the toilet.

When she got here again, her co-worker was once arrested by way of a plainclothes officer. 

Judy instructed them Laurie, who was once nonetheless a trainee, was once concerned, which resulted in her being fired. Police instructed her that merely being in entrance of any individual who was once doing medicine was once a sackable offence.

Frustrated and offended, she felt as although she were unfairly pushed aside by way of the PD.

After being fired, Laurie found out a number of pictures of veteran law enforcement officials – together with  Elfred O. Schultz (her long run husband), dancing nude on picnic tables.

She then filed a criticism about it with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, arguing feminine officials had been let opt for minor problems, whilst male officials had been stored on in spite of critical infractions. 

After her criticism become widely known, Laurie began to won threats.

She won a notice pronouncing ‘Bembenek, we are going to get you’.

She even discovered a useless rat underneath the windshield wiper on her automobile.

What adopted was once – what Laurie claims – a body task by way of the police division – when Laurie was once arrested – and located to blame – of homicide.

Immediately after being let cross from the police  – and wanting cash – Laurie implemented to change into a Playboy waitress on the Lake Geneva Playboy Club. 

Kris stated: ‘Laurie knew the facility she had in her attractiveness. 

‘She knew the facility she had in her mind and the facility she needed to mix the ones two issues.’

Clad in the well known bunny ears, bunny tail and a leotard, Laurie was once taught to grin and serve beverages to consumers, the usage of her just right seems to be to collect as many pointers as imaginable.

It was once within the eating place, the place Laurie first met Detective Fred Schultz  – a veteran police officer who she went directly to marry.

Kris described Laurie as ‘a type of forms of ladies who has to have a boyfriend’, and stated that Fred – who didn’t need to be interviewed for the podcast – was once ‘assured’, ‘sturdy’ and ‘simply the type of guy that Laurie appeared drawn to’.

The pair began to head on jogs in combination, he purchased her bouquets of roses and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than they sought after to transport in in combination – alternatively, they wanted a roommate to find the money for the hire, in order that they requested Judy Zess.

Fred – who had  just lately divorced Christine Schultz – popped the query. He and Laurie ran off to Illinois with out telling any in their family and friends and were given hitched.

Four months after Bembenek and Schultz married in January 1981, Laurie was once arrested for  Christine’s homicide. 

 ‘I used to be a Milwaukee police officer and neatly there have been a number of issues that had been occurring on the time,’ Laurie instructed Larry King’s communicate display on the time.

‘I used to be going to be a federal witness towards the manager of police. I had a intercourse discrimination declare towards the police division. 

He requested her: ‘So you suppose they had been out to get you?’ Laurie replied: ‘Well it no doubt did glance that approach.’

Even now, persons are nonetheless debating if Laurie was once eager about Christine’s loss of life – or if she was once framed.

At 2am on 28 May 1981, Christine, Sean and Shannon had been napping soundly when any person broke into their area.  

Fred and Christine’s eldest son Sean aroused from sleep to the noise. He was once then tied up, earlier than managing to become independent from from the restraints. 

Kris instructed the podcast: ‘The terrified boys hung there for a couple of mins. 

‘They did not know what to do. The subsequent factor they heard was once their mom screaming “‘Please don’t do that!” And then one thing that seemed like a firecracker to them went off.’

After getting into Christine’s room, they discovered her mendacity face down at the mattress with a gunshot wound in her again. 

The assassin had wrapped a wire round her left hand, put a gag over her mouth and a shawl put round her head. 

Sean attempted to forestall the bleeding earlier than he ran to the telephone and referred to as Stu Honeck, who was once Christine’s boyfriend on the time.

He was once additionally a police officer and was once one among Fred’s just right pals. Stu then referred to as the police and reported Christine’s homicide. 

Fred was once operating the night time his ex-wife was once killed.

When he discovered the inside track, he rang Laurie, who was once house on my own that evening.

She was once because of cross out consuming along with her good friend however they cancelled on her. ‘It was once the only evening she will have to’ve were given out consuming,’ Kris stated.

Fred rang Laurie at 2.45am to tell her of the tragic information. 

‘I used to be actually sleepy and I assumed for a moment that he was once joking as a result of I imply law enforcement officials do shaggy dog story about the whole lot,’ Laurie stated on the time. 

Laurie referred to as her good friend Joanne who instructed the podcast: ‘It was once the nighttime and I used to be useless asleep. 

‘I responded the telephone. The telephone was once subsequent to my mattress.

‘She was once crying and he or she is going “Get up, wake up”.

‘She stated “Christine’s been shot. Christine’s been killed” I stated “What the hell are you talking about?”

Fred and his spouse for the shift, Michael Durfee, then drove to Laurie’s area.

He requested Michael – who didn’t need to be interviewed for the podcast – to test the hood of Laurie’s automobile to look if the automobile were pushed that night time, nevertheless it was once chilly, indicating she hadn’t used it to commute anyplace.

Fred then gave his off-duty gun to Michael so he may just read about whether or not or now not it were fired that evening. He stated it hadn’t because it was once dusty and there was once no carbon residue on it. 

But when Michael passed the gun again to Fred, he by no means wrote down the serial numbers and when the MPD requested him for his pocket book that evening, Michael stated he not had it on it, later claiming he was once now not obliged to stay it.  

Eager to resolve the case, the MPD sought after all suspects to take a lie detector take a look at, however Laurie refused to, which furthered their suspicions. 

After discovering blonde hairs on the crime scene, the police division despatched Detective Jim Gauger to Laurie’s area to query her.  

In the hopes of discovering the homicide weapon, he made up our minds to ship Fred’s off-duty gun to the lab for ballistics checking out.

Despite Michael pronouncing the weapon hadn’t been shot that night time, Monty Lutz, head of ballistics for MPD , stated it were fired and that he believed it was once the homicide weapon.

Laurie was once arrested on 24 June 1981.

‘There had been two law enforcement officials they usually stated you might be underneath arrest. It was once like a punch to the tummy, it was once so surprising. It was once nightmareish,’ she stated.

The MPD took her headshots and instructed her that she was once being charged with first-degree homicide. She was once in jail for 3 days and 3 nights earlier than her Aunt Mary was once ready to pay the $10,000 bail.

Laurie then made up our minds to offer an interview about her revel in to Georgia Pabst, a journalist at Milwaukee Journal.

Georgia stated: ‘She stated she felt the arrest would possibly’ve been retaliation for her intercourse discrimination go well with. 

‘She described herself as a feminist who was once interested by improving the lives of ladies and curtailing violence towards ladies. 

‘She stated: “I could never do that to another woman”. She additionally complained concerning the protection.

‘She stated that Christine had even visited her and Schultz of their rental a few times and that there were no animosity between them. 

‘She stated “In fact, she brought over a blender for us to use one time”.’

Laurie and her legal professional, Donald S. Eisenberg, ready to stand the jury in the beginning of her trial on 22 February 1982 and it was once the primary gavel-to-gavel televised trial in Wisconsin historical past. 

The prosecution painted Laurie out to be any individual who was once after Christine’s area and claimed that she sought after to scare her into transferring again to Appleton. 

They stated that Laurie won’t have had plans to kill Christine, however panicked and shot her. 

But Sean, Christine’s 11-year-old son who was once referred to as to the stand as a witness, stated Laurie may just now not be the killer. He was once sure {that a} guy murdered his mom. 

 ‘Even if it might were Laurie, it could not were as a result of even though she would were dressed in shoulder pads, it was once the similar width the entire approach down,’ he instructed the court docket.

The prosecution then argued that Laurie will have been in conceal that night time and subsequently may have handed as a person. However, Laurie was once 5ft 10in and Sean stated the assassin was once round 5ft 8in to 5ft 9in. 

Sean and Shannon had other descriptions of what the killer was once dressed in that fateful night time. One stated they had been dressed in a inexperienced jogging go well with and the opposite stated they had been in a military jacket.

A shop clerk additionally alleged that Laurie had stolen garments from her retailer and stated one of the crucial items she had taken was once a inexperienced jogging go well with. 

The MPD stated they discovered fibres on the scene synonymous with a wig, so the prosecution introduced a lady to the stand who owned a wig retailer. 

She claimed Laurie had purchased a wig in the similar color and form because the killer’s wig. 

Laurie had in the past bought a wig when she was once serving as a police officer as they had been required to have brief hair, however the wig she purchased was once blonde, now not brown just like the killer’s wig.

Kris stated the lady who owned the wig retailer was once adamant that it was once Laurie as a result of she stated she recognised her identify at the cheque. However, it was once later found out that Laurie did not have a bank account. 

Surprisingly, Laurie’s good friend, ex-housemate and previous colleague Judy Zess was once additionally introduced in by way of the prosecution. 

Judy stated: ‘[Laurie] had 4 jogging fits in fact, crimson, blue, brown and inexperienced.’

She additionally stated that the wig was once Laurie’s and that she even knew the place Laurie had stashed it within the rental after the homicide.

Judy stated she had flushed it down the bathroom of their previous rental and {that a} plumber had discovered it within the pipes. 

She stated: ‘My mum invited Laurie and Fred over to our area to mention congrats for his or her marriage. 

‘And on the dinner, Laurie was once performing actually bizarre. She stated she sought after to are living within the Ramsey Avenue area as a result of Fred was once paying for it. She additionally concept the alimony Fred was once paying Christine was once an excessive amount of, like 700 greenbacks a month. Laurie stated ‘It would pay to have Chris dusted. Blown away’.’ 

On 9 March 1982, the jury reached a verdict and located Laurie to blame of first diploma homicide and he or she was once sentenced to existence in jail at simply 23 years previous.  

Speaking concerning the second she was once taken away to be locked up, Laurie stated: ‘I imply my again was once to the digital camera, however the sheriffs who took me up within the elevator may well be my witnesses.

‘I used to be sobbing so laborious. I may just slightly breathe. It’s like a defence mechanism. 

‘You cannot even deliver your self to imagine that you simply were given a existence sentence. You’re now not going anyplace. You’re convicted, that is it, that is all.’ 

Fred stated on the time: ‘We tried to arrange ourselves for the whole lot, however I used to be in fact, very, very surprised by way of what had came about.’

Laurie was once despatched to Taycheedah Women’s Prison after being convicted and described herself as being ‘depressed, scared and freaked out,’ in previous letters she had despatched to Kris, who additionally claimed she pondered suicide. 

She additionally wrote to her legal professional Eisenberg: ‘Oh my God, am I going to die in right here?’ 

After her trial was once televised and coated broadly by way of the media, Laurie won numerous mail from individuals who had been following her case – however she additionally were given a notice from Fred, who wrote that he was once breaking apart along with her. He additionally left the police division.

While in jail, Judy despatched her a cryptic letter which stated she was once ‘stuck between a rock and a troublesome position’, whilst a neighbour of Laurie and Judy’s installed an affidavit that  Judy had planted the wig within the pipes.

One 12 months after the trial came about, Judy sat down with Laurie’s legal professional Eisenberg and recanted lots of the testimony she gave in court docket. It was once additionally alleged that she was once napping with the lead detective at the case on the time. 

In 1984, Judy made every other damning observation, which Vanity Fair reported in 1991. 

She wrote: ‘The police know I do know much more about this example and they are afraid, you already know, if I let any of this cover-up, which, you already know, I’m positive by way of now you figured that any individual else has been concerned on this….

‘You guys would simply s*** if you happen to knew who did it. I imply, the Police Department did an out of this world cover-up on you. You guys are sitting proper on best of it and do not even comprehend it.

‘I do know who killed Christine Schultz, however I ain’t bringing up not anything.’ 

The mag additionally reported that once the homicide, Fred Schultz went into a gathering with an inspectors’ convention room, the place a number of superiors had been looking ahead to him.

No mins had been taken and no police record was once filed.

One veteran Milwaukee detective who knew Fred spoke at the situation of anonymity to the opening and stated: ‘There are numerous law enforcement officials all over the dep. who really feel that that assembly was once the place Bambi’s destiny was once sealed. 

‘They wanted a fall man – do not inquire from me why – and that fall man was once Bambi.’ 

Dean Strang, an lawyer who was once interviewed at the podcast, stated Fred will have to’ve by no means been allowed onto the crime scene as a result of Christine’s homicide hit too with regards to house for him. 

Dean additionally concept it was once bizarre how the clinical examiner was once now not referred to as till an hour and a part after the loss of life was once reported.

The clinical examiner who handled Chrisine’s homicide, Elaine Samuels, accused the MPD of putting the blonde hairs on the crime scene. 

She stated on the time: ‘I discovered no blonde hairs. The blonde hairs must were planted by way of the police. Nobody else may just’ve planted them.’

Laurie additionally argued that if she did kill Christine, she would’ve hid the weapon higher, fairly than putting it at house for the police to search out.

She stated: ‘I used to be a cop, in fact. You’d throw it in the course of Lake Michigan, you would do the rest however to make use of your husband’s gun and produce it house. Why do not you set up a neon signal? I imply that is loopy.’   

Before the homicide came about, Fred’s father stated he were given a chain of bizarre, competitive calls from an unidentified male who stated: ‘You f***ing son of a b****. I’m going to get even with you.’

His father believed the threats will have been geared toward his son and the person had referred to as the mistaken quantity. 

In the overall name, the stranger stated: ‘I are living in Pewaukee.’ Police had been knowledgeable and put a hint at the quantity however he by no means referred to as once more.

Another fascinating determine that was once mentioned at the podcast was once Fred Horenberger, a convicted prison who was once believed to be napping with Judy on the time.

Horenberger – who was once concept to were an acquaintance of Fred Schultz – robbed Judy after Christine’s homicide.

It is claimed Horenberger and his crew used disguises, together with wigs and threatened Judy with a snub nosed 38 gun – the similar kind that was once used to threaten Christine.

However, after he were given out of prison for robbing Judy in 1991, Horenberger shot himself.

It was once stated that earlier than he died, he stated: ‘I had not anything to do with the homicide.’

Laurie herself stated that Schultz had employed Horenberger to kill Christine after which framed her.

Laurie had appealed her conviction thrice, mentioning that the MPD made mistakes when dealing with key proof – however they had been all unsuccessful. 

But now unmarried, Laurie controlled to search out love once more from at the back of bars.

She met Dominic Gugliatto, her cellmate’s sister, within the visiting room. 

The pair began sharing steamy letters and had been engaged inside six months. 

He noticed how disenchanted Laurie was once concerning the rejected appeals and made up our minds to assist her get away of Taycheedah Women’s Prison. 

‘I used to be so determined that even one evening of freedom was once value it. Even one evening.’

Dominic controlled to get pretend start certificate in order that they might run away to Canada and declare that they had forgotten their passports. 

Their new names had been Jennifer Vogel and Anthony Gazzana.

Laurie was once ready to flee the jail by way of mountain climbing out of a window within the laundry room and scaling the fence, the place Dominic was once looking ahead to her at the different facet in a getaway automobile.

Laurie and Dominic moved to Thunder Bay in Ontario in 1990 and rented an rental for 500 Canadian bucks a month or even were given a cat and referred to as her Laurie, as an ode to her previous existence. 

She were given a part-time task instructing aerobics and was once additionally a waiter, all whilst the police again in the United States had been seeking to observe the escaped convict. 

Everything was once going easily for the couple – up till a vacationer from California visited Laurie’s eating place.

He later went house and watched America’s Most Wanted, the place Laurie’s face popped up at the display screen. He referred to as the police in Canada and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than an inspector went to Laurie’s paintings to query who she was once.

But she denied figuring out who Laurie was once or the rest concerning the prison case. 

Dominic then picked her up earlier than the pair rushed house to close up their stuff and run. 

However, a Canadian Mountie confirmed up with reinforcements to arrest them each.

During this time, Laurie had began turning into relatively of a star in the United States by way of her nickname, Bambi.

There was once a wave of Bambi lovers who concept she was once blameless they usually had  automobile bumper stickers, T-shirts and occasional mugs revealed off with the slogan: ‘Run, Bambi, Run!’ Others held rallies and he or she was once even discussed in a tune. 

This was once taking place all whilst Laurie was once being held in a Canadian detention centre, refusing to return to the United States – in spite of Wisconsin urgent for an extradition.

Kris described seeing her on the time and stated: ‘She gave the impression of a shadow of the lady I had observed. 

‘I take note leaving and I will’t destroy down when I’m in entrance of her however I take note going out of doors and I simply cried for some time. I used to be like “Oh God, is she even going to live through this?”‘ 

Laurie implemented to be a political refugee in order that she may just keep in Canada, however she was once refused and was once despatched again to Taycheedah ladies’s jail in 1991. 

She and Dominic later broke issues off. 

A 12 months later, he was once then presented a deal. She can be sentenced to time served if she pleaded no contest to second-degree homicide.

No contest implies that Laurie was once now not admitting she was once to blame however she was once opting for to simply accept the criminal penalties.

A pass judgement on on the time stated that ‘vital errors’ were made within the investigations of Christine Schultz’s loss of life and Bembenek struck a deal to obtain 10 years of probation. 

Laurie authorized the plea and was once launched 3 hours after the listening to in 1992, ten years after being locked up for the homicide. She says that she agreed to the plea as a result of she sought after to spend time along with her oldsters earlier than they died. 

When Laurie was once launched from jail, she endured to are living in Milwaukee in a prime upward push construction or even dated a member of town council – in spite of her new legal professional, Sheldon Zenner, advising that she transfer out of the realm. 

She become a neighborhood famous person who was once recognised every day or even had one individual ask for a signed autograph when she was once out in public.

Laurie maintained a just right courting with reporters and was once invited to discuss her revel in on Oprah within the 90s. 

However, 4 years after being freed, Laurie was once arrested for cocaine and hashish ownership on a regimen parole consult with in 1996, however not anything got here of the costs. 

She then made up our minds to transport to Vancouver, Washington – however no person would rent her as a result of she had a second-degree homicide conviction. 

There, she met her moment husband Marty Carson.

Laurie in the end were given a task serving to ladies in peril however she nonetheless sought after to turn out her innocence.

In 2001, there was once a brand new legislation in Wisconsin the place convicts who claimed they had been blameless may just practice for DNA checking out.

She sought after an organization in Tennessee to do the checking out as she did not believe the Milwaukee lab, however to boost this cash, she did TV appearances once more. 

Phil McGraw, recognized for his TV display, Dr Phil,  stated he would donate $20,000 to DNA checking out if she opened the consequences on his display.

In 2002, he put her up in an rental however to stay the consequences a secret, his crew took away her method of touch to the out of doors global.

Laurie freaked out and tried to flee by way of leaping out the window however she fell onto the concrete, cracking two primary bones and severing an artery in her proper foot, which later resulted in her leg being amputated for knee down. 

She was once recognized with post-traumatic rigidity dysfunction, and closely depended on alcohol to manage.

She were given a agreement and incapacity bills, which is what she lived off for the remainder of her existence till she passed on to the great beyond from liver failure in 2010, elderly 52.    

Laurie’s and Hornberger’s DNA weren’t discovered on the scene of the crime – nevertheless it didn’t exonerate her totally, as it will have supposed that the DNA simply hadn’t been picked up.

In the years after she passed on to the great beyond, Laurie’s circle of relatives have endured to take a look at and transparent her identify by way of making use of for a pardon, which is has been unsuccessful up to now.