A Deadly Attraction

HE WAS A CHARISMATIC doctor -- married, with three children. She was his much younger, adoring assistant. For a decade, they were lovers; she even bore him a son, now almost 6 years old. But in 1994, when Janice Trahan decided to break up with Richard Schmidt, he exacted a terrible revenge -- according to authorities in Lafayette, La. -- by injecting her with blood from an AIDS patient. Late last month, Schmidt, a 48-year- old gastroenterologist, was charged with the attempted murder of Trahan, 33, who was diagnosed HIV-positive four months after Schmidt's alleged nocturnal house call. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $500,000 bond.

""It was the ultimate fatal attraction,'' says attorney Kent Mercier, who represents the patient from whom authorities believe the tainted blood was taken. Schmidt, Trahan told police, had vowed never to let his lover leave, even threatening to ensure that no man would want her and that she would die. While they were still seeing each other, Schmidt often gave her B shots to boost her energy. On the night of Aug. 4, 1994, Trahan says, she awoke to find Schmidt standing over her bed with a hypodermic needle in his hand, claiming it was just another pep shot. She says she protested, but he was insistent. Seconds after that, she says, she felt the sharp prick of the needle, and then he was gone. Schmidt denies being there that night.

Trahan was pregnant at the time (the father was her current husband, whom she married in February). When she developed disturbing symptoms a few months later, her obstetrician tested her for AIDS. She had an abortion after he told her the results. Since then, she has suffered a series of AIDS-related illnesses. Authorities say her disease has progressed rapidly because the virus came from a man infected for a long time and has mutated into a form resistant to some medication.

Tested negative: In the spring of 1995, Trahan contacted police, who searched Schmidt's office two months later. His billing records, obtained by NEWSWEEK, indicate that on Aug. 4, Schmidt either drew blood from or gave an injection to Donald McClelland, a middle-school teacher in Lafayette who has AIDS. More detailed medical records for that visit are missing. Schmidt says police or Trahan took those records, but police deny it. After months of tests, genetic analysis of the virus that infected Trahan shows it is the same as McClelland's. Trahan's sexual partners have all tested negative for HIV.

Schmidt's wife, Barbara, stood by him after his ar- rest, telling reporters, ""He is a good man.'' In court, however, Schmidt admitted starting another affair, which continues, after his relationship with Trahan. McClelland sued Schmidt for breaching doctor-patient confidentiality because his name and HIV status became public after the indictment; in school, he has been reassigned to administrative duties. Meanwhile, Schmidt continues to treat patients while awaiting trial early next year.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

");jQuery(this).remove()}) jQuery('.start-slider').owlCarousel({loop:!1,margin:10,nav:!0,items:1}).on('changed.owl.carousel',function(event){var currentItem=event.item.index;var totalItems=event.item.count;if(currentItem===0){jQuery('.owl-prev').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-prev').removeClass('disabled')} if(currentItem===totalItems-1){jQuery('.owl-next').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-next').removeClass('disabled')}})}})})

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrK6enZtjsLC5jp2cmpycrnqiwNOrmJysmaS7bn2WcGtrag%3D%3D