EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) -- The Lane County Sheriff’s Office has released new information in a murder and fire investigation on River Road showing the suspect and the victim both had a relationship and children with the same woman.
41-year-old Robert Charles Baimbridge is accused of killing 51-year-old Moji Tholl at his Eugene home on River Road on Tuesday, October 9 then setting fire to the house.
Baimbridge was arraigned in court on Friday, October 12 on murder and arson charges. He did not enter a plea but will be back in court on November 19.
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office says Baimbridge and the murder victim, Tholl, both had children with the same woman, 41-year-old Shawna Schmidt.
"Both are associated with the same address and both have been associated with the same woman in the past,” says Sergeant Cliff Harrold with the detectives division of the Lane County Sheriff’s Office.
According to investigators, Schmidt and Tholl were living together in the house until recently. However, when the fire happened, Schmidt had been staying somewhere else.
About two weeks ago on September 28, Schmidt was arrested for assault four, menacing and strangulation. Under a pre-trial release, Schmidt was ordered by the Lane County Court not to go back to the house or to have any contact with Tholl.
Around 2:00 PM on Tuesday, the fire broke out in Tholl and Schmidt’s house. Tholl was found dead inside on the first floor. While he was burned by the fire, investigators say that wasn’t all.
"When the fire department personal first got on scene and removed the body from the house, they could tell that there were some injuries that weren't consistent with or simply related to the fire. So there was some external evidence on his body,” says Sergeant Harrold.
The Sheriff’s Office still hasn’t released any information on what the external injuries were on Tholl’s body or how they were caused. Investigators haven’t released any sort of motive in the case either.
Investigators say they were led to Baimbridge because of his relationship with Schmidt.
"The fire department got there, found the suspicious injuries and called us. Once we got on scene, we tried to connect who was associated with the residence. We knew Mr. Tholl and Shawna and Mr. Baimbridge has prior contacts both at that house and with Shawna Schmidt,” says Sgt. Harrold.
Baimbridge has prior arrests on his record for burglary, assault and drug-related charges. At one point, he was romantically involved with Schmidt; however, more recently, Schmidt was romantically involved with Tholl.
Investigators say four children are involved in this case, ages four, eight, eleven and thirteen. All of them are okay and DHS has been in contact with them.
