February 2022 — 

The MLO Minute: By Dennis McAndrews, Esq. — 

I just learned that today is the 25th anniversary of the verdict in the John du Pont murder trial in which I was a special prosecutor with the incomparable Joe McGettigan for the most challenging and exhausting case of my life. The stakes in that case were extremely high. As a wonderful husband, father, and Olympic Gold medal wrestler, David Schultz had been murdered in cold blood by the richest murderer in the history of the United States. Several wealthy criminal defendants had recently been acquitted or otherwise escaped criminal punishment, and the fear of our small prosecution team was that the army of highly paid lawyers that John du Pont had hired would similarly allow him to walk free.

We confronted over 70 pre-trial motions and appeals, and eventually brought du Pont to trial. After three weeks of testimony and a week of deliberation, du Pont was found guilty of third-degree murder, sentenced to a long-term incarceration, and eventually died in prison.

I have always felt this case served as a justification of the criminal justice system that wealth did not guarantee a ticket to an unjust exoneration. It was my privilege to work on this case with Joe McGettigan and other wonderful professionals, and felt a great sigh of relief when the verdict was entered and I could return to a normal life with my wonderful family and my own practice of law with a team of people who work just as hard to bring justice to all of the families that we have the honor of serving each day.