John Schneeberger is a North Rhodesian-born former physician who drugged and raped one of his female patients and his stepdaughter while a physician in Canada. For years, he evaded arrest by planting a fake blood sample inside his own body to confound DNA tests.
Schneeberger was accused of serious sexual crimes, and convicted after successfully foiling DNA tests several times. On the night of 31 October 1992, Schneeberger sedated his 23-year-old patient, Candice , and raped her. While Versed—the sedative he used—has a strong amnesic effect, Candice was still able to remember the rape. She reported the crime to the police. Schneeberger's blood sample was, however, found not to match the samples of the alleged rapist's semen, thus clearing him of suspicion. In 1993, at the victim's request, the test was repeated, but the result was negative, as well. In 1994, the case was closed. Candice, still convinced that her recollections were true, hired Larry O'Brien, a private detective, to investigate the case. He broke into Schneeberger's car and obtained another DNA sample, which, this time, matched the semen on the victim's underwear and pants. As a result, a third official test was organized. The obtained blood sample was, however, found to be too small and of too poor quality to be useful for analysis. In 1997, Lisa Schneeberger found out that her husband had repeatedly drugged and raped her 15-year-old daughter from her first marriage. She reported him to the police, who ordered a fourth DNA test. This time, multiple samples were taken: blood, mouth, and hair follicle. All three matched the rapist's semen. During his 1999 trial, Schneeberger revealed the method he used to foil the DNA tests. He implanted a 15 cm Penrose drain filled with another man's blood and anticoagulants in his arm. During tests, he tricked the laboratory technician into taking the blood sample from the place the tube was planted. He was found guilty of sexual assault, of administering a noxious substance, and of obstruction of justice, and received a six-year prison sentence. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan stripped Schneeberger of his medical license and his wife divorced him. She also complained about him to the Canadian immigration authorities. In 2003, Schneeberger was released on parole after serving four years in prison. He was stripped of his Canadian citizenship due to having obtained his citizenship illegally, as he had lied to a Canadian citizenship judge in claiming that he was not the subject of a police investigation. In December 2003, Canada authorities revoked his citizenship and ordered his deportation. Being a permanent resident of South Africa, he was returned there in July 2004. He moved to Durbanto live with his mother. According to a report by the Mercury News in Durban, Schneeberger applied to the Health Professions Council of South Africa to work in medicine less than three weeks after his arrival in Durban. The Council was considering the former doctor's registration until Schneeberger suddenly withdrew it in mid-October.
In media
His case was depicted in a 2003 true crime series, on CBC, and in Canadian film, I Accuse. It was also featured in an episode of Forensic Files on Court TV, now TruTV. The case also inspired works of fiction, including "Serendipity", a fifth season episode of , and the first episode of the 2009 Japanese drama Kiina. The case was featured on Autopsy episode 7, "Dead Men Talking" on HBO.
