1979 MURDER SOLVED 

For further information, contact Director Chuck Nebus, 248-474-5500, ext. 235.

As a result of a committed partnership between the Farmington Public Safety Department, Oakland County Sheriffs Department and the Oakland County Prosecutors Office, an unsolved homicide, almost thirty years old, has been solved.  On January 27, 1979, two men broke into the former Great Scott Supermarket on Orchard Lake at Ten Mile.  The intruders forced four employees into the break room of the closed supermarket where all four were bound.

When store employee, Julius Schnoll, age 62, was unable to open the store safe, he was killed, shot execution style in the head in front of the other three employees.  The two subjects robbed the employees of their personal property and took cigarettes from the store.

In 2006, Farmington Public Safety Commander Frank Demers asked Director Chuck Nebus if he could review the old case, hoping advances in science might help solve the case. However, two years later, it was good old fashion detective work that solved the case, said Director Nebus.  Commander Demers teamed up with the Oakland County Sheriffs Department, Special Investigative Unit, Sergeants Dave Wurtz and Gary Miller, along with Barbra Morrison, from the Oakland County Prosecutors Major Crime Unit.  The team successfully re-interviewed several people in Michigan and throughout the country.

A new witness and additional information from several persons led to the issuance of murder charges against two men, William Hess, age 50 , and Darrell Kastel, age 54 .  Hess was already in custody on other charges. They were arrested and arraigned at the Farmington Public Safety Department on Saturday, June 14^th. Pleas of not guilty were entered on their behalf by 47^th District Court Magistrate, Michael Sawicki. A pre-exam conference is scheduled for June 23^rd.

Director Nebus credits the hard work and dedication of the detectives and the assistant prosecutor for solving the case.  Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcycas willingness to commit a major crimes prosecutor to a cold case, and Sheriff Bouchards commitment to supplying investigative resources were key ingredients, yet the case may have remained unsolved without the initiative of Commander Demers, said Nebus.