JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In the files of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, you will find a weathered, brown folder marked Homicide Case #96750.
“Looking back through our case history and researching, I don’t see anything like this that has happened in our history,” tells Det. Ray Reeves with the Cold Case Unit at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
It began like a normal day on June 17, 1970. George Schwender, 43, and 31-year-old Harry Schenck arrived at the Zayre’s department store on Beach Blvd in their Brink’s truck to pick up a cash deposit.
Schwender stayed with the truck and as Schenk walked out of the store carrying the money bags, witnesses say bullets started flying.
“He is coming out of the store and two gunmen open fire on him,” explains Det. Reeves.
Harry Schenck was shot, but returned fire as he stumbled back into the store. Schwender opened the truck door and began firing at the attackers to try and protect and his partner, but he was struck multiple times. The two gunmen jumped in a getaway car parked in the lot with a driver and took off, leaving the money and a horrific scene.
Bullet holes piercing the front door of Zayre’s and the side of the Brinks truck, Schenck lay bleeding just inside the store and Schwender was also wounded inside the cab of the truck.
Schenck would survive the attack, but Schweneder died at the hospital. He was a World War II veteran, loving husband and father of six.
“He is just a family man and gunned down in broad daylight by some people who wanted to take some money,” tells Det. Reeves.
The getaway car, a 1961 white Buick, was found less than a mile away on Cortez Road. There was some debate about a description of the attackers, but investigators now say it appears to have been two white males as the shooters and a woman as the getaway driver. All were described as young, likely in their 20s at the time. Schwender’s children say that day is burned in their memories.
His oldest child, Adrienne Sachse, heard the news alert come across the radio.
“It said there had been a robbery of a Brinks truck in town and that was it. More details to follow,” describes Sachse.
They had a bad feeling that was confirmed when their father’s boss arrived at their home to tell their mother the news. Their devoted father who coached their baseball teams and loved taking his children to the beach, was gone.
“He would do anything for you, help you out with anything you need. Just a great guy all around,” says Diane Miller describing her father.
The story went nationwide and search ensued and about a week and a half later, an arrest was made. Charles Caton ,23, of Jacksonville was arrested in connection to the attempted robbery and murder after newspaper reports say he sought medical attentional for a bullet wound to the arm and a witness ID’ed him as the man that shot Schwender.
He was on parole after serving two and a half years on a bank robbery charge.
But newspaper reports show during an evidentiary hearing, a co-worker testified he was working with Caton the day of the robbery. There was also debate about the length of one of the shooter's hair. A witness described the shooter as having hair that stuck out beneath his straw hat. Those testifying on Caton’s behalf said he had shaved his head about six weeks prior to the robbery.
In the end, the grand jury did not indict Caton for murder, and he was freed of the charges and there has never been another arrest since.
“Currently, as of right now, we do not have a suspect in this case,” tells Det. Reeves.
But detectives are not out of leads. They still have some of the evidence from the scene, including the straw hat witnesses say one of the gunmen wore and fell off his head as he was running back to the getaway car. In the hat, a single hair was found, but no follicle, so no DNA for right now. Investigators say though they are holding on to it because technology is progressing and they hope to be able to test it soon.
Until then, Schwender’s children and wife remember his heroic actions trying to save his partner and other innocent lives that day and they hope someday there will be answers about who took his life.
“We kept thinking maybe one day they will find him, but that day has never come,” tells Miller as she wipes away a tear.
First Coast News did also speak with the daughter of Schenk in preparation for this story, and she says that though her father did survive the shooting that day, the blood transfusions he was given were tainted with Hepatitis C. That would cause him complications for the rest of his life and lead to his death in 2006. They too are praying for answers in this case.
If you know anything about the Brink’s truck robbery in Jacksonville in 1970 please call the Jacksonville’ Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit 904-255-2626 or First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866845-TIPS(8477)
We also want to thank Project: Cold Case for its help in gathering information for this story.
To learn more about their mission click here: https://projectcoldcase.org/