The shocking accusation against a beloved doctor | Forensic Files

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caseville has elected to change the names of some individuals featured in this episode
[Music] in 1992 newlyweds john and lisa schneeberger were living a charmed life together in the small farming community
of kipling saskatchewan john was one of just two doctors in kipling and every time lisa went into
town she was stopped in the street by well-meaning locals who told her how lucky she was to be married to such a
wonderful man she entirely agreed with them their relationship hadn't exactly begun
in a conventional way in the fall of 1987 lisa had been working as a receptionist at a medical
clinic in oxbow another small town situated roughly 116 kilometers south of kipling
she met john when he arrived at the clinic to work as a physician the 26 year old doctor had only recently
relocated to canada from south africa as he'd wanted to escape the political turmoil of his homeland
john schneeberger quickly became a popular figure at the small clinic with patients finding him warm and personable
but he was still new to the country and didn't have many friends so lisa made an effort to be kind
she and her then husband rich began inviting jon to have dinner with them and gradually something shifted in lisa
and to john's dynamic they grew closer and elise's relationship with rich who had been her
high school sweetheart began to suffer by the spring of 1988 lisa and rich had split up and elisa embarked on a romance
with the jon she took her young son and daughter to move to kipling and john went too
taking on a role as a doctor at the town's only hospital despite these sudden and drastic changes
the newly formed family adapted well john was a loving stepfather to lisa's two children and they in turn adored him
the townsfolk of kipling were as charmed by jon as those in oxbow had been and affectionately referred to him as dr
john lisa and john designed and built their dream home a spacious lakeside property
with enough room for more children down the track in 1991 they married as far as lisa was concerned she had
found her soulmate and couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with him [Music]
on sunday november 1 1992 there was a knock at the schneeberger's front door lisa went to answer it and to her
surprise saw an officer from the royal canadian mounted police standing on the stoop
identifying himself as detective hanstra he asked if he could speak to her husband
lisa called for john and the two men stepped into another room to speak privately
detective hanstro informed john that he was investigating a very serious allegation
a patient had accused john of sexual assault 23 year old candice foster had filed a
report earlier that morning alleging that dr schneeberger had drugged and raped her the previous night when she
attended the hospital where he worked for treatment detective hanstra had already paid a
visit to kipling memorial union hospital and interviewed the nurses on duty one confirmed that candice had arrived
in a highly agitated state after getting into an argument with her boyfriend that
had turned physical a nurse had asked candace if she would like to see dr schneeberger and she
agreed the doctor gave candice a sedative that was used to treat severe agitation and
she stayed at the hospital overnight for monitoring neither of the two nurses on duty had
seen anything suspicious and both had been frequently bustling in and out of the examination room where candace was
treated the only other male in the entire hospital that night was a man whose wife
was giving birth and he had been in the delivery suite the entire time john schneeberger listened as the
detective relayed the accusation against him when it came time for him to speak he
adamantly denied the allegations stating it wasn't me i would never have done that
john explained that when candace had arrived she was hysterical and said she felt like killing her boyfriend
he had asked if she would like something to calm down and candice said yes so he'd given her a sedative called
versailles john theorised that perhaps the drug had caused candace to hallucinate and
mistakenly imagine an assault his description of the night's events were consistent with the nurses accounts
traces of versailles had also been found in candace's system so it was evident that the doctor was telling the truth
about that as well [Music] there was one easy way to get to the bottom of the matter
when candice had gone to the police she had brought a pair of underpants with her that she said she'd been wearing the
night before there was a semen stain on them that she insisted belonged to dr schneeberger
investigators intended to obtain a dna profile from the stain and detective harnstra asked the doctor if he would be
willing to provide a blood sample to compare with the result eager to clear his name dr schneeberger
said that he would be more than happy to oblige the doctor soon made an appointment with
the local police to give blood candace foster had reported the alleged rape to the royal canadian mounted
police or rcmp in the saskatchewan capital of regina about 150 kilometers from where she lived in
kipling the regina rcmp had subsequently handballed the case back to kipling's detachment
a lab technician withdrew a small amount of blood from dr schneeberger's left arm
and then he was free to go dna was still in its infancy as a forensic tool and it would take some
time to receive the results in the meantime word got out around town that dr schneeberger had been accused of
rape by candace foster john schneeberger was a highly popular figure and many kipling residents found
the allegations impossible to believe not only did he have a reputation as a gentle and trustworthy doctor but he had
done so much for the town john shared a board for disabled adults he had helped out two young men when
they got into trouble with the law and he had helped kipling build its very first outdoor swimming pool by leading
its fundraising campaign his accuser was less well-liked [Music] foster was a young single mother who
worked at a local gas station people around kipling saw her as a party girl with a quick temper
at a cabaret event that dr schneeberger had organised to raise money for the community pool
candace had caused the scene by arguing with her boyfriend and punching him as the rape accusation became the talk
of the town most people sided with the doctor they suspected candace was inventing a
story because she had a crush on him or maybe she was after his money after all if she had been attacked in an
examination room then why hadn't she said anything to the two nurses who were on duty that night
finally after several months of waiting the dna results came through a profile had been created from the
semen stain on candace's underwear and john schneeberger was not a match these results came as a relief to john
and his wife lisa she had not believed the allegations for one moment and finally there was proof
that her husband was innocent now that dna evidence had vindicated him hopefully they could move on with their
lives yet to their shock and disbelief candace wasn't going away john and lisa found out through the
police that candace was still insisting she had been raped at the hospital and that dr schneeberger was responsible
she was demanding that they test his blood a second time dr schneeberger duly agreed to provide
the police with more blood for further testing once again his sample did not match the
dna from the semen stain on candice's underwear dr schneeberger was definitively ruled
out as a suspect because dna evidence was absolute the police told candice there was nothing
else they could do and in 1994 the case file was closed lisa couldn't understand what had
prompted candice to target her husband so persistently she wondered if candace was infatuated
with the john and determined to ruin their marriage or maybe she was mentally unwell
whatever the reason lisa was furious with her she knew without a doubt that candice
wasn't the victim john was life went on as normal with dr schneeberger retaining his good standing
in the community luckily most people in the town believed in him wholeheartedly candice foster made the decision to move
150 kilometers away to regina so the schneebergers no longer had to worry about bumping into her down the street
over the next couple of years the rape claim faded into the past and they moved on into their future together
the happy couple had two children with their first daughter born in 1995 and their second in 1996
life was good and their family was finally complete but still the schneebergers suspected
that candace was lurking about on the fringes of their lives one day in 1996 a man approached john at
work with an entry form for a raffle he explained that it was part of a radio station contest to win a diamond ring
and asked john if he would like to enter john agreed he filled out the form then placed it
into the accompanying envelope licking its adhesive strip before sealing it the stranger had watched him carefully
the entire time this incident took on a sinister new light when the schneeberger's cleaner
approached them with some information she knew candice foster's parents and had heard that candice had hired a
private investigator to keep it digging into john lisa was angry that candace still seemed
hell-bent on destroying their lives from then on john sealed envelopes by using water
from the kitchen tap telling lisa you can just never be too careful when people are accusing you of things you
didn't do on the afternoon of friday april 25 1997 lisa schneeberger was at home when one
of her daughters approached with a surprising question fifteen-year-old amy was lisa's eldest
child from her first marriage and she wanted to know whether she could go and visit her biological father
the request caught lacer off guard as the family had already made weekend plans and amy was supposed to be
babysitting lisa noticed that amy's complexion was pale and her expression troubled
she asked her daughter what was wrong in a halting voice amy replied mum i have something to tell you
she gestured for her mother to come with her and led lisa to her bedroom amy walked over to her bed and pulled
back the covers then she pointed at the mattress lisa looked at the spot her daughter was
indicating lying there was an empty condom wrapper then amy spoke mum he's done this to me before
the night of october 31 1992 wasn't shaping up to be a fun halloween for 23 year old candice foster
for starters she had a shift at the gas station where she worked full time candace had given birth to a baby girl 9
months earlier and as a single mother she was solely responsible for providing for her daughter
her parents who came from a modest farming background were supportive but juggling parenthood with long
working hours was exhausting second of all candace's boyfriend dany had showed up at the gas station which
had led to an argument candace and dany had a tumultuous relationship and she just learned that
he had lied to her about seeing other women they began to fight with candace growing
as distressed about the argument itself as she was about the fact it was taking place at her work
dany made one last offensive retort then jumped into his truck and drove away laughing with a friend
furious candice kicked the side of the vehicle as it peeled out of the parking lot
she was so distraught and angry that she decided to go to kipling memorial union
hospital to see a friend who worked there candace hoped that talking through her
feelings might help calm her down she left work early went home to change and then drove to the hospital only to
discover her friend wasn't working that night noticing how upset candace was a nurse
asked if she'd like to see a doctor candace asked who was on that night it was dr schneeberger known locally as
dr john candice liked dr schneeberger he was young and charming and had been her
doctor for more than a year he had even delivered her daughter nine months earlier
candace agreed to see him and was shown to an examination room candace's agitation had only increased
since arriving at the hospital when dr schneeberger stepped into the examination room he found her sobbing
her face was bright red he asked what was wrong and candice replied i'm so mad at danny that i feel like i
could kill him dr schneeberger chatted with candice for a few moments and said well maybe i'll give you something to
calm you down he left the room briefly then returned with a syringe in hand candice was surprised
she thought the doctor was just going to get her a couple of pills he inserted the needle into candace's
right arm then led her over to an examining table rolling her over on her left side so she
was facing the wall almost as soon as the drugs entered her system candace had felt them take effect
body felt heavy yet soft at the same time like all her muscles were gone and she was just a puddle of jelly
she tried to scream but all that came out was a faint croaking sound limp and numb she couldn't move
yet her eyes stayed wide open staring at the blank wall in front of her candice felt a man unbuttoned and pulled
down her jeans before pulling her underwear to one side then he started to rape her
candice couldn't turn and see who it was she couldn't call out for help desperately she tried to move her arm
after a few minutes her attacker stopped and fixed candace's clothing groggily she managed to roll over just
in time to see dr schneeberger exiting the room candice woke the next morning in a
hospital bed feeling light-headed and strange slowly the events of the previous night
came back to her she hadn't mentioned anything about the attack to the nurses who had encouraged
her to stay at the hospital overnight soon dr schneeberger came in to check on her and take her vitals
as he went to check her pulse candice asked him what kind of drug he had given her the night before
why replied the doctor with a smile did it give you wild dreams then he walked out without answering her
question candice noticed that her underpants were stained with what appeared to be semen
when she got home she took them off and placed them inside a ziploc bag having watched a lot of crime shows over
the years she knew she needed to preserve any possible dna evidence she would also need to undergo a
physical examination candice knew she couldn't return to the hospital where dr schneeberger worked
nor did she feel safe reporting the crime to the local police force so she drove with a friend almost two
hours west to a hospital in regina where she spoke with two sexual assault counsellors and a rape kit was collected
staff at the hospital phoned the police on candace's behalf candice also confided in her parents who
would be two of her greatest supporters in the months and years that followed one look at her face was all they needed
to see to realise how traumatized she was although candace's parents and close friends believed her it was a different
story when it came to the rest of kipling candice couldn't walk down the street without people pointing at her and
exchanging whispers rumors spread that candace was obsessed with dr schneeberger and was trying to
break up his marriage others speculated that she was a gold digger who was trying to blackmail or
sue a wealthy man for cash [Music] candice stood firm knowing that when the dna results from dr schneeberger's blood
test arrived then people would realise she had been telling the truth after six long months she received a
call from a kipling constable the dna wasn't a match candice couldn't believe it
that's impossible she told the police before adding that she would get to the bottom of the matter
[Music] candace suspected that the doctor had foiled the dna test somehow maybe he'd figured out a way to switch
the vial that contained his blood the police told her that wasn't possible an officer had supervised the entire
process and nothing suspicious had taken place still candice was undeterred for months she lobbied the police to
test the doctor's blood again late in 1993 they approached dr schneeberger again and managed to
convince him to give another sample this time the doctor was indignant and protested pointing out that he had
already been exonerated but eventually he agreed the second test had the exact same result as the first
negative [Music] case file will be back shortly thank you for supporting us by listening to this
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promo code case file [Music] kipling was where candice foster's support network of family and friends
lived but being around so many others who thought she was a liar was too difficult
unable to continue living in the town where people treated her like a pariah she moved to regina
years went by but she refused to give up her fight in 1996 she decided to hire a private
investigator and ask him to obtain a sample of dr schneeberger's dna for testing
larry o'brien had worked for the rcmp for 25 years before he switched over to private work
he agreed to meet with candice and as he listened to her story he was struck by her strength and matter-of-fact manner
in an episode of the canadian television program 72 hours larry o'brien described
candace as one of the most determined people he had ever met quote tough as nails if she had to be
and sweet as an angel hearing what candice had to say larry had no doubt that she had been raped and
that dr john schneeberger was responsible when candace explained that larry was her last hope he knew he had to help her
larry had his assistant go to the doctor's workplace and pretend he was accepting entries for a competition
dr schneeberger filled out a form and then placed it in an envelope licking the seal closed
but the envelope was later contaminated and had to be thrown out for his next attempt larry o'brien went
to the hospital parking lot himself and tracked down dr schneeberger's car a mercedes-benz with the personalized
license plate schnee the vehicle was unlocked allowing easy access it was also exceptionally clean
but larry managed to find a hair on the back of the headrest he carefully bagged it for testing
unfortunately the hair had no root so it was unusable determined to keep trying larry went
back to the car a second time this time he spotted a tube of chapstick sitting in the vehicle's unused ashtray
removing the cap larry saw that the chapstick was almost brand new it looked as though someone had used it just
once pulling out an envelope that had a clear plastic window pane larry rubbed the chapstick back and
forth over the plastic the third time was the charm traces of saliva and skin cells present
on the chapstick had transferred to the envelope and there was enough to create a dna profile
two weeks later larry got a call the results were in the dna was a match to the man who had
raped candice [Music] candice was overjoyed she knew the results proved that dr schneeberger had raped her
but it was still unclear why the dna from his blood sample wasn't a match to her rapists semen as well
candice and larry o'brien believed the doctor had most likely managed to somehow switch the vials containing his
blood they took the results from their private test to law enforcement hopeful it would
finally convince them of dr schneeberger's guild detective hanstra of the rcmp was
intrigued but told candice the evidence couldn't be used because it had been obtained illegally
however it might give them the leverage they needed to convince dr schneeberger to provide yet another blood sample
this time they would videotape the entire process as well as watch it closely in person
when confronted with the new evidence john schneeberger insisted that the chapstick from the car wasn't his
nevertheless he agreed to provide one final sample on november 20 1996 dr schneeberger turned up to have his
blood taken by the rcmp a serologist named jean rony had been brought in specifically for the task
with detective heartstr instructing her to be on the lookout for anything suspicious
a video camera was set up to record the entire thing as dr schneeberger settled in gene roney
asked him to stick out his hand blood samples were always taken from a small prick to the index finger
however dr schneeberger explained that he had a syndrome which caused his fingers to bruise easily
having damaged fingers was less than ideal for a physician so he offered to provide a sample from his arm instead
gene agreed dr schneeberger rolled up the left sleeve of his yellow sweater so it sat
just above his elbow the vein on the inside of his arm was prominent and should have been easy to
take blood from but jean struggled to insert the needle after a couple of attempts she succeeded
and drew a small sample of blood dr schneeberger was thanked and he left the room
looking down at the blood gene roney was puzzled it was a strange color very dark with a
brownish hue looking at the video camera she said the blood doesn't look really kind of
fresh i don't know the sample was submitted for analysis but the result wasn't what anyone
expected dr schneeberger's blood was too degraded to detect dna candice foster was furious and
devastated she had fought for years to have the case reopened and now it seemed as
though she had lost her last chance as for investigators they were suspicious now they were on the same page as
candice certain that dr schneeberger had done something to thwart the test but they had no idea what
then in april 1997 they received a phone call from the doctor's wife lisa schneeberger
on april 25 1997 lisa schneeberger's 15 year old daughter amy said she had to tell her something
and took lisa to her room amy showed lisa an empty condom wrapper that was lying on her bed
then stated mum he's done this before horror washed over lisa as she processed her daughter's words
she knew that amy was referring to her stepfather john schneeberger the love of lisa's life and a man she had staunchly
defended over the past five years amy's memories were blurry but she knew that her stepfather had been sexually
assaulting her for a long time ever since she was 13. when she became a teenager her
stepfather had taken an interest in her sexual health suggesting that amy go on the pill
he began touching her inappropriately sometimes he assaulted her in his office at work while he was supposed to be
treating her for minor ailments such as a wart on her foot amy could remember her stepfather giving
her an injection then guiding her to his examination table and lying on top of her
she could feel him raping her then she passed out other times he would give her injections
at night supposedly to help her sleep amy would wake the next day with the hazy feeling and the knowledge that
something awful had happened the night of april 24 1997 had been one such occasion
amy hadn't been able to sleep so her stepfather had injected her with something the next day when she was making her bed
she had been horrified and distraught to discover a condom wrapper tucked between
the sheets now that she had physical evidence of the assaults she had long known were
taking place amy had decided to confide in her mother lisa felt sick but she didn't doubt her daughter for a
second memories flooded back of the way her husband had so often administered injections when the children were unwell
instead of offering tablets or syrups lisa had asked john why he did this and he'd simply assured her that injections
were quicker and are very effective because he was the doctor she had been satisfied with his answer
lisa remembered one time when amy had woken up feeling sick groggy and upset crying to her mother that john had given
her a needle late at night when lisa asked him about it he'd said yes she was coughing
didn't you hear her coughing [Music] lisa hadn't heard any coughing but she believed her husband
as she processed the fact that her life as she knew it was a lie and the enormity of amy's suffering
lisa asked her daughter why she hadn't come to her sooner amy replied you didn't believe candice
why would you believe me [Music] in an instant lisa knew that candace foster had been telling the truth all
along [Music] as reported by crime magazine she later told the canadian television program w5
i felt sick i still blame myself maybe if i had believed candace none of this would have happened to my daughter
[Music] lisa helped amy pack a bag so she could stay elsewhere for the weekend then she called her husband on his cell
phone he was in the car driving home from a medical conference amy's told me what you've been doing to
her i know said lisa you've done it to candice too didn't you dr schneeberger insisted that he hadn't
done anything at all and would explain everything when he got home when he arrived home a little while
later the doctor didn't seem all together well he was slurring his words and lisa
suspected he had taken some kind of drug dr schneeberger slipped it off on the couch while lisa lay awake all night
early the next morning she demanded he leave he did and elisa turned her attention to
his home office casting her eyes around the room she spotted a box perched high up on a shelf
lifting it off and opening it up lisa saw it was filled with doctor's gloves syringes condoms and vials of a
drug called a versaid a benzodiazepine medication versailles is a sedative sometimes used to decrease
agitation and induce sleepiness it is also used for anesthesia and can cause those injected with it to lose
consciousness additionally versed has an amnesiac effect preventing the formation of new
memories lisa placed a phone call to detective hoestra at the rcmp and reported her
husband for rape telling the detective everything that amy had told her [Music] case file will be back shortly
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[Music] when candice learned that dr schneeberger had been accused of raping his stepdaughter repeatedly over the
past two years she burst into tears ever since she had been raped by the doctor in 1992
she had been terrified that he would do the same thing to other women to learn that he had repeatedly
victimized an underage girl was her greatest nightmare realized the rcmp obtained a warrant and took the
box that lisa schneeberger had found into evidence then they arrested her husband and
charged him with aggravated sexual assault against amy now that they had a warrant they could
take as much dna from him as they wanted detectives took swabs of his saliva 25 hairs from his head and a sample of
blood from his index finger candice foster was thrilled she later told producers for the
television program forensic files that was what i had wanted all along i mean i had even offered to go chop an
arm off i would have socked him one in the nose to get that blood no problem this time
all of the samples had the same dna profile as the person who had left a semen stain on candice foster's
underwear finally there was incontrovertible evidence tying dr schneeberger to candace's case
despite this the doctor continued to deny that he raped candice and denied raping his step daughter as well
john schneeberger claimed that candace was trying to destroy his wealth and his family by accusing him of rape
she had obtained his semen by breaking into his home stealing a used condom and then wiping its contents onto her
underwear dr schneeberger said that he'd realized he was being set up by candace from the
moment she lodged her report so when the police initially asked for a blood sample he concocted a scheme to
foil the dna test two weeks after the alleged rape on october 31 1992 the doctor had an appointment with a
young male patient who had a stomach complaint under the guise of treating him dr
schneeberger withdrew the patient's blood deliberately taking more than he needed
then he placed it in a fridge in his clinic hours before he was required to provide
his first blood sample on november 16. dr schneeberger took a scalpel and sliced his left upper arm deep into his
bicep then he took a 15 centimeter long plastic tube that he'd filled with his patient's blood and inserted it into the
cart forcing the tube inside his arm and down to his elbow from the outside it looked like a
protruding vein when the lab technician took a sample from dr schneeberger he insisted that it would need to be
taken from his arm not his finger because dr schneeberger wasn't under arrest the police were relying on his
cooperation and could only take what he would allow them to unknowingly the technician had inserted
the syringe into the prominent tube instead of a vein and withdrawn someone else's blood
dr schneeberger repeated the same process every time he had to provide more blood
in video footage of him providing his third sample in 1996 there is a moment where the top of the tube can be seen
protruding from the doctor's skin as he rolls up his sleeve for the test by the time he gave this third and final
sample the blood he had taken from his patient four years earlier had grown old and died
when it was sent off for dna testing a report came back that it was too degraded to provide a profile
investigators approached the patient whose blood was used by dr schneeberger and asked if they could test his dna
it came back as a perfect match to the blood provided in the doctor's first two tests
in addition to the charge of aggravated sexual assault against his step-daughter
dr schneeberger was charged with one count of sexual assault against candace foster
he was also charged with two counts of administering a noxious substance to commit an indictable offence and one
count of obstruction of justice his medical license was suspended and he finally went to trial in september of
1999 prosecutors informed the court that the defendant was an intelligent but manipulative man who could not control
his sexual impulses dr schneeberger took the stand in his defense saying that the police and his
accusers were out to get him he repeated his theory that candice foster had stolen his semen to frame him
and explained how he had used a patient's blood as his only defense against the crooked system
candice stared at him wide-eyed as he revealed the way he had thwarted the dna tests
she later described the description of the surgery he'd performed on himself as disgusting
hearing the gory lengths he had gone to to evade capture had left her feeling as
though she was going to have a panic attack when it came time for candace to give
evidence she stood her ground as dr schneeberger's lawyer tried to undermine her testimony
candice later said in an episode of forensic files i was a bulldog on the stand i kicked his lawyer's ass
i showed him who was boss lisa schneeberger and her daughter amy also gave evidence against the man who
had once been a part of their family on november 25 1999 dr john schneeberger was found guilty of
sexually assaulting candice and amy of drugging candace and obstruction of justice
however the presiding judge acquitted dr schneeberger of aggravated sexual assault against amy and of drugging her
the doctor's claim that he was framed by candace was dismissed as quote inventive fanciful and imaginative
despite the evidence against him dr schneeberger remained a popular figure in kipling and half of those in the
public gallery hung their heads in sorrow upon hearing the verdict others including candace foster and her
supporters clapped and cheered with some people calling out bye john although the charges dr schneeberger was
convicted of were enough to result in a life sentence he was given just six years in prison
upon hearing the length of this sentence those celebrating his conviction grew quiet and solemn
candace would later tell the media that the amount of time the doctor had received was shorter than the length she
had waited to hear it [Music] even when john schneeberger was behind bars many people throughout kipling
remained convinced that he was innocent some speculated that he had been framed by candice and the rcmp
candice dismissed the dr schneeberger's supporters as disgruntled and ignorant former patients with no understanding of
the pain and trauma he had caused even though lisa schneeberger had publicly supported her husband for years
before turning against him suspicious locals theorised that she had forced her daughter to accuse him of
rape in an interview with the calgary herald newspaper lisa asked what would i have to gain from setting
my daughter up to it i had a husband i adored and a beautiful family why would i trade in that for the
nightmare i'm living now the only doubt i have in my mind is what part of our marriage was real
lisa divorced the dr schneeberger and changed her name even though the former doctor was now a
convicted sexual offender serving time the courts demanded that lisa allow him visitation time with their two daughters
now aged five and six lisa refused not wanting to take her children to a prison or make them spend
time with the man who had raped their older sister she was issued with a two thousand
dollar fine for ignoring the court's orders and paid it in full when her struggle came to the public's
attention people rallied around lisa in support in april 2001 when she was once again
required to take her daughters to see their father 100 protesters gathered outside the prison on the day of the
visit lisa's daughters cried as she led them to the interview room and their obvious distress led to the
court appointed social worker cancelling the meeting at the last minute eventually dr schneeberger agreed to
give up his parental rights and a visitation was no longer required in 2003 schneeberger was released on
parole after serving four years he moved to regina saskatchewan the same city where candace foster was residing
speaking to the media she remarked i guess i can't escape him stripped of his medical license john
schneeberger took up work with the demolition crew but his time in his adopted country was
to be short-lived as a campaign began to revoke his canadian citizenship as well
john schneeberger had become a canadian citizen in 1993 the year after candace first accused him
of rape his ex-wife lisa pointed out that if he hadn't cheated a dna test with a stolen
blood sample then his status as a rapist would have been known when his application was
lodged consequently he should have never received citizenship at all [Music] canadian authorities agreed and in 2004
the now 43 year old john schneeberger lost his citizenship he had a garage sale to get rid of his
belongings and some friends and supporters threw him a going away party before he was deported to south africa
in july schneeberger moved in with his mother in durban [Music] he attempted to join the health
professions council of south africa in a bid to work in medicine once again just as the council was considering his
application he made the sudden and unexplained decision to withdraw it in john schneeberger's homeland the
south african press have dubbed him dr rape his ex-wife lisa came to view the man
she once believed was her best friend and soulmate as a pathological liar and remorseless predator
her greatest regret was not believing candice foster and she blamed herself for the abuse that later took place in
her home when lisa heard that john schneeberger had finally left canada she told the
saskatchewan news network quote i'm elated it is such a relief to know he is gone
it has often been a long and painful journey i am so looking forward to closing that
last final chapter and putting that book away forever candice foster had dreams about john
schneeberger for years in sum he chased her down while she tried to escape and she would wake up
screaming in others she would pursue him with a gun waking only after she had shot him in
the head i don't know if it will ever go away she told the calgary herald in an interview
when you are raped it never ever goes away candice took john schneeberger to court
in a civil suit and was eventually awarded 75 000 but it is unclear whether she received
this money candice told newspaper the edmonton journal that she was less concerned
about the money than she was some form of compensation for all that she had lost
quote he stole time with my baby daughter from me i'm never going to get those years back
about a decade after her attack candice co-wrote a script about the ordeal which
was subsequently made into a film called high accuse her hope was that it would inspire other
survivors of rape to come forward to share their stories no matter how they are perceived by
their communities [Music] [Music] you

Case 219: Doctor John

Dr John Schneeberger’s charming and gentle manner made him a popular and trusted figure in the tiny Canadian town of Kipling. So when a young woman named Candice accused him of raping her in 1992, most townsfolk were left shocked and found the allegation impossible to believe.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Erin Munro Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

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Brief Summary

Dr. John Schneeberger is accused of rape, but shocking truths about his abuse of his stepdaughter emerge, leading to his conviction.

Key points

A Charmed Life. In 1992, newlyweds John and Lisa Schneeberger enjoy a seemingly perfect life in Kipling, Saskatchewan.
Allegations Arise. Detective Hanstra informs John Schneeberger of serious allegations against him, shaking their lives.
DNA Results. The DNA results come back, clearing John Schneeberger of the allegations, but Candace insists on further testing.
A Mother's Shock. Lisa Schneeberger is confronted with her daughter's troubling revelation about her biological father.
Lisa's Shocking Discovery. Lisa Schneeberger learns from her daughter about the abuse by her husband, John.
Candice's Nightmare Realized. Candice learns of Dr. Schneeberger's abuse of his stepdaughter, confirming her fears.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

It's the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

0:02WatchAug 20, 2022

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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