William Hess has been found guilty in the 1979 death of Julius Schnoll, a Farmington Hills supermarket supervisor who was shot in the head execution-style 30 years ago. The trial against a second man suspected in the murder, Darrell Kastel, will begin April 26.
The prosecution stated that two men, Kastel and Hess, killed 62-year-old Julius Schnoll on Jan. 27, 1979, during a botched robbery at the Great Scott supermarket at 10 Mile and Orchard Lake roads. Police said on the day of the killing, Hess, and Kastel, both from Highland Park, climbed in through the store’s air-conditioning duct early in the morning, herded the four night-shift workers into the break room and hog-tied them with dog leashes and cellophane.
Schnoll, who was a night manager and traveled between two stores, was ordered to open the safe, but Schnoll didn’t know the combination because only the day manager had that information. When the robbers realized Schnoll couldn’t open the safe, he was shot in the head inside of the break room in front of the rest of the employees.
Hess and Kastel were both charged with first-degree premeditated murder and felony murder. Hess’ attorney and the prosecutor gave their opening statements in an Oakland County Circuit Court on March 4.
Prosecutor Greg Townsend said that the two men killed 62-year-old Julius Schnoll on Jan. 27, 1979, during a botched robbery at the Great Scott supermarket at 10 Mile and Orchard Lake roads.
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