Detective Gregory Pollock didn’t want to tell his wife that their pals, Roger and Melissa Bluml, had been shot in the head outside their Kansas home.
“I was at home when I got the phone call and immediately recognized their address,” Pollock told Fox News Digital. “I was sitting there with my wife, and I didn’t want to tell her anything because I wanted to go out onto the scene first. But let me tell you, it was overwhelming. I knew this would be a tough case.”
The 2013 execution-style murders were explored on Oxygen’s true-crime series, “A Plan to Kill.” It examines the true tales of disturbed killers who spend weeks, months or even years plotting the demise of their victims.
The true-crime series “A Plan to Kill,” examines the true tales of disturbed killers who spend weeks, months or even years plotting the demise of their victims. (Oxygen)
The show features new interviews with investigators who worked on the cases, as well as the loved ones of those slain.
“This is a case that did not go to trial, so there are still bits and pieces that the community doesn’t know about,” said Pollock. “There was work done by law enforcement that people had no idea had taken place. There were actions committed by the suspects that people weren’t aware of. I felt it was a good time to talk about what happened.”
The Blumls were described as a “loving couple” who yearned to be parents. That dream came true when they adopted brothers Anthony “Tony” and Christopher “Chris” Bluml as young children.
When Melissa and Roger Bluml were shot, police began focusing on their adopted son, Anthony “Tony” Bluml. (Kansas Department of Corrections)
“Roger and Melissa were pillars of the community,” Pollock explained. “They had a lot of compassion for each other, and they were fun to be around.
“I have known Roger for several years. He loved to tell jokes and stories. He was the kind of guy whose laugh you could hear from across the room. And Melissa had a heart of gold. She would help out wherever help was needed. These were two great people who watched our families grow.”
As Tony and Chris grew older, they appeared to be thriving with the Blumls. In high school, they excelled at wrestling and football.
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Roger and Melissa Bluml were shot inside their car. (Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office)
“We were there when they first got adopted,” said Pollock. “I still remember to this day the conversation they had with Roger and Melissa. They were excited about the fact that there was food on the table and that they were going to eat all the time. As the boys got older, there was respect for Roger and Melissa. They played sports and understood the rules of the household. They seemed to be doing well.”
That all changed during Tony’s senior year when he got involved with “the wrong crowd of friends,” said Pollock. According to Oxygen, Tony was caught smoking marijuana and fought with his parents.
The 18-year-old, who, according to court documents, was exhibiting “violent behavior,” was eventually kicked out of the house. The Ark Valley News reported he supported himself by working at fast-food restaurants, staying with friends and selling marijuana.
According to reports, Tony Bluml reconnected with his biological mother, Kisha Schaberg, on Facebook. (Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office)
He then decided to reconnect with his birth mother, Kisha Schaberg, on Facebook. Court documents revealed that Tony and his friend, Braden Smith, traveled to California to stay with Schaberg. According to reports, the trio often spent their days “in a drug-induced haze.”
When the group ran out of money, they moved back to Wichita, Kansas, according to court documents.
On the way, Schaberg reportedly said several times that the Blumls should be killed so that she, Tony and Chris could be reunited as a family. It is believed that Schaberg was upset that Chris wanted “nothing to do with her.” She blamed the Blumls for supposedly turning her son against her.
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Police learned that Tony Bluml was the last known person to see his adoptive parents alive. (Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office)
“I think Kisha is a skilled manipulator, a master manipulator,” said Pollock. “I think she was able to manipulate not only Tony but anyone else that became involved. A lot of very skilled manipulation techniques were used by her, and she was successful. She got all the young men to believe in whatever she sold them… She’s pure evil.”
Tony, who, according to the episode, desired his mother’s approval, often complained to Schaberg about the Blumls and how strict they were. He described resenting them for kicking him out of their home while his younger brother was seemingly doted on.
Court documents revealed that by the time they arrived in Kansas, they had already devised a plan to kill the Blumls. But Smith, who reportedly got cold feet, allegedly recruited his pal Andrew Ellington to take his place.
Braden Smith was a known friend of Tony Bluml from school. (Kansas Department of Corrections)
Smith claimed it was Tony who picked a date – Nov. 15, 2013. That evening, Chris would be away at a wrestling match. The plan was for Tony to go out to dinner with the Blumls and get them out of the house. When they returned, the Blumls would be killed, appearing like a burglary gone wrong.
According to reports, Tony believed that upon their deaths, he would receive a substantial inheritance and could finally be with his biological mother for good.
“Throughout all of 2013, we talked to Melissa and Roger about all the problems they were having with Tony,” said Pollock. “They were looking for help and solutions. We even talked about different things that they could try. Right down to the last week… they believed he was too much of a threat because of the drugs he was bringing to the house.”
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According to Oxygen, when police questioned Braden Smith, he broke down. He claimed that the plan to murder Melissa and Roger Bluml started when they met up with Tony Bluml’s biological mother in California. (Sedgwick County Sheriffs Office)
“Melissa stopped by to talk to us about Tony being in town,” Pollock continued. “She was still leery of what was going to happen after they met. But he wanted to meet them and go to dinner. He also needed a copy of his birth certificate. We talked to her that evening for about an hour, both me and my wife. Melissa said she’d let us know how the dinner turned out.”
On the evening of Nov. 15, Tony went out to eat with the Blumls. Meanwhile, Schaberg and Ellington entered the house. They opened up the dresser drawers and removed small items, hoping to make it look like a robbery.
Court documents revealed that Tony texted Ellington and told him that the Blumls had dropped him off at his hotel and were on their way back. When the Blumls arrived, Schaberg shot the couple from the passenger side of their vehicle. Schaberg gave Ellington Melissa’s purse and cellphone to dispose of them.
Braden Smith claimed he got cold feet and backed out. Instead, his friend Andrew Ellington (pictured here) was recruited to help with the murders. (Kansas Department of Corrections)
Chris, 16, returned home just after 9 p.m. and discovered the bodies. Melissa died the following day. She was 53. Roger passed away five weeks later at age 48.
“Through our investigation, we believed that Kisha wanted to reunite her family,” said Pollock. “The only conclusion that she reached was killing Roger and Melissa so that the boys could be all hers again. That’s what she believed. That’s what she told us… That was her motivation.”
“There was a lot of planning the suspects did to try to disguise and hide from law enforcement,” said Pollock. “But in the end, all their planning failed, and we were able to see right through it. In fact, it helped us to uncover a lot… and bring the case to the point where nobody wanted to go to trial because they knew what the outcome was going to be if they went to trial.”
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Gregory Pollock was friends with Roger and Melissa Bluml. (Oxygen)
According to Oxygen, police got a tip from a man who identified himself as a schoolmate of Tony’s.
“He had received a text message a couple of days before the Blumls were shot, by a friend of his, another 18-year-old named Braden Smith, saying he needed a gun for a job,” said Amy Renee Leiker, a reporter for the Wichita Eagle.
Investigators identified Schaberg, Smith, Ellington and Tony as suspects. While Schaberg denied any involvement in the slayings, the boys admitted to their roles and provided information that led to evidence.
Roger and Melissa Bluml. (Oxygen)
In 2015, Schaberg and Tony pleaded no contest to aggravated robbery and capital murder charges to avoid the death penalty. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Ellington was sentenced to life in prison but has eligibility for parole after 25 years, said Oxygen. Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 24.5 years in prison.
“Roger and Melissa did everything they could to set the boys up for success,” said Pollock. “That was always the thing they wanted – to make sure that their lives were going to be better than anything that they currently had. They wanted the boys to be successful and contribute to society.”
“… if you were to look up the word ‘evil,’ I think you would find Kisha’s picture in that description,” he said. “… She’s where she belongs right now.”
“A Plan to Kill” airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on Oxygen.
