VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A man pleaded guilty to 12 counts, including aggravated murder, on Thursday in connection to the 2004 murders of a 29-year-old and her seven-year-old son.
Richard Stoner faces life in prison at his sentencing, which is currently scheduled for May 1.
This is the second time Stoner has pleaded guilty in the 19-year-old case that began when Lois Schmidt and Jonathan Vetrano were found shot dead in a burning home on Newcombe Road in 2004.
The case had gone cold for several years until 2018 when Stoner and Schmidt's ex-husband, Christopher Schmidt, were arrested. Court documents showed that one piece of evidence was a disc that contained a recording of Stoner calling the Cold Case Line.
Investigators said Stoner confessed to killing the mother and son pair, claiming Schmidt hired him to kill his ex.
The Stipulation of Facts in the case says Stoner thought Lois would be home alone, but when he got to the home in June 2004 he found she was home with her son from another marriage.
Stoner killed Lois, according to court records, and then killed Jonathan because he was going to be "messed up for life" after witnessing his mom's murder.
He also shot Lois's brother, killed a dog, and set the house on fire, according to the Stipulation.
After initially pleading guilty to avoid the death penalty, a judge allowed Stoner to withdraw his plea in 2021 after then-Gov. Ralph Northam signed a law abolishing the death penalty in Virginia.
Christopher Schmidt maintained his innocence and charges against him were withdrawn in 2021.
Stoner was scheduled to go on trial in March, but pleaded guilty Thursday for the second time.
"They didn't deserve it. They did not deserve to die that way. They had their whole lives," said Joe Bloise, the father and grandfather of the victims.
Bloise called the plea a "long time coming."
