Two sought in brutal attack

A 73-year-old man lay bleeding in his upstairs bedroom for more than 24 hours before he mustered enough strength to throw something against the wall in hopes of drawing someone’s attention.

Richard Schumm had been shot, bludgeoned and left for dead.

The former owner of The Donut Shop in Medical Lake was in serious condition Wednesday at Sacred Heard Medical Center while Spokane police searched for two young men who had rented a room at the house just 10 days earlier.

Schumm’s car and wallet are missing, said William Walker, who is the victim’s housemate. “I think the only reason I wasn’t attacked was because I told them I was out of money and my car wouldn’t start.”

Police described the attack as an attempted murder.

He must be “a tough guy,” Spokane police Sgt. Joe Peterson said, referring to how the 73-year-old survived such a brutal attack.

Schumm and his wife owned and operated The Donut Shop in Medical Lake for 12 years until she died in 2002. After her death, the business was sold and Schumm became distraught.

Schumm was living in his car when Walker saw him at a nearby gathering spot and asked if he wanted a room in his house. The two men have lived as housemates in the home at Fourth Avenue and Stone Street for about 3 1/2 years, Walker said.

When Schumm owned his business, he delivered day-old doughnuts to the Hoot Owl, a gathering spot for recovering alcoholics. For the last three years, he’s been a regular visitor to the venue. He usually plays his favorite solitaire game, Three Peaks.

“He’s always been pretty soft-spoken,” said Ralph Strebe, a volunteer at the Hoot Owl. “He generally keeps to himself.”

About two weeks ago, one of Walker’s friends asked if two young men, who the friend said were his nephews, could stay at the home for about a month.

And Walker, who has an affection for stray cats and needy people, said yes.

Walker knows the 20-something-year-old men only as Matt and David. He said they always wear black and some red clothing. The taller one, David, has black painted fingernails. Walker said David had tried out for a band somewhere in Hillyard since arriving at the home.

On Sunday, Walker left his home, and that’s when Schumm was attacked, police said.

First, the 73-year-old was shot in his left arm, which left blood spatters on the wall in the downstairs dining room. Tiny drops of blood trailed to a door, which led to the upstairs quarters where Schumm has been living. Police think Schumm was dragged up the stairs because of the small pools of blood on each stair.

Peterson said Schumm appears to have fought against his attackers.

When Walker came home, he noticed the two young men and their belongings were gone. He assumed Schumm was sleeping and didn’t want to bother him. But on Tuesday morning, Walker heard a loud noise upstairs and went to check.

Walker said his roommate was badly beaten, with a cut from the top of his head to the nape of his neck, swollen ribs where it looked like he’d been kicked, a broken right hand and a shattered left arm.

Firefighters extended a ladder to the upstairs window and lifted Schumm out on a gurney, Walker said.

So far, Schumm has been in too much pain to talk to detectives about his attackers, Peterson said.

Meanwhile, Walker was heartbroken by the deception of his friend who told him the two young men could be trusted, and by his housemate’s beating.

“I’m upset that young people can appear to be so nice when they are not,” Walker said. “I’m upset that my friend was terrorized in his own home.”