JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Melissa Schafer, the ex-wife of a former JSO detective, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for second-degree murder and other charges related to the 1999 murder of business owner Saad Kawaf, the State Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
Kawaf was stabbed to death in his Deerwood home.
In December 2020, Schafer admitted to helping her ex-husband, William “Billy” Baer, kill 39-year-old Kawaf and stealing $30,000 in cash from his wife in 1999.
Baer was officially charged with first-degree murder by a Duval County grand jury in February 2021 for the murder of Kawaf. He was also charged with kidnapping with a weapon, armed robbery and aggravated battery.
Baer was arrested in July 2020, along with Schafer, for the murder of Kawaf. Baer was sentenced to life in prison in September 2021.
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