Sixteen years ago, the United States lost one its greatest wrestling heroes – Dave Schultz. On January 26, 1996 Schultz was shot and killed by DuPont heir John E. duPont at the Foxcatcher Wrestling training facility in Newtown Square, PA. duPont, later convicted and found to be mentally ill, was the sponsor of Foxcatcher Wrestling. He died in prison on December 9, 2010.
Perhaps the most decorated wrestler in US history, Schultz, like many other great wrestlers, did not even take up the sport until junior high school. Schultz’s senior year in high school (1977, Palo Alto, CA) is generally considered the greatest individual season by a high school wrestler in US history. During that season he won the US Nationals in Greco Roman (open division…against grown men), he pinned a former 2X NCAA champion at an “open” college tournament, and he capped off the season by winning the California HS state title. Schultz was a 10X World Champion, an Olympic Gold Medalist, and NCAA Champion.
Check out the link below for a recent article by Philly.com which does an outstanding job of Recalling the Schultz – duPont Tragedy.
Dave was a good friend and stayed with us in Maine twice. Knew him from being his scout at the 1984 Olympics. Having taken loaded gunS away from wacko John DuPont with later murdered Dave Schultz in November at 2:30 AM in DuPont’s huge bedroom as the idiot was choking Dave shouting he was Satan and the Dali Lama . I tried to persuade them to leave, but Dave was loyal to DuPont. Nancy’s FIRST words when I called (Not expecting her to still be there after seeing the last bullet go in) after the murder were, “We should have followed your advice,Ted.” My testimony was part of the trial. Luckily Pennsylvania has a “guilty and insane law”—not innocent by reason of insanity, so DuPont was locked up—hospitalized till he died last year. Still had the power to have Nancy followed in California three years after the conviction. He murdered Dave in January but was allowed to stay in his (police guarded) Foxcatcher home till JUNE! As a matter of fact he tried to give Foxcatcher to Pennsylvania as a prison! Nancy had to force international wrestling FILA not to accept DuPont’s millions a couple of years after. As a matter of fact from my desk, I can see two posters with notes from Dave to me and to my wrestlers.