Debbie Guillozet
Remembering Debbie Guillozet and Virginia Baltes
Cold-Blooded Executions
On Saturday, January 8, 1977, Debbie Guillozet and her five-year-old son, Scott, had just finished moving into her mother, Virginia Baltes’, home. Debbie had recently left her husband, Carl Guillozet, after a difficult five years of marriage. Mrs. Baltes was now living alone after separating from her husband, Ralph, a few years earlier. Mrs. Baltes was extremely excited to have her daughter and grandson living with her. She loved nothing more than being a devoted mother and doting grandmother.
By 9 PM that night, Scott was sleeping and Debbie was spending time with her mother. While they were talking, there was a knock at the door. Debbie answered the door and an angry Carl Guillozet confronted her. An argument ensued through the screen door regarding visitation. According to Guillozet, he told Debbie he was going to his car to kill himself.
Debbie and her mother immediately ran out of the house to try to stop him. Neither of them wanted Scott to grow up without a father. It was a cold night and the women did not even take the time to put on coats. They ran outside in their bathrobes. As the two women approached Guillozet, he pulled out the gun and fired three shots.
Rather than shoot himself, Carl Guillozet fatally shot Virginia Baltes twice in the heart at near point-blank range. He also fatally shot Debbie in the head at near point-blank range. After shooting both women, he then fired multiple shots into the house where five-year-old Scott was sleeping.
Guillozet then went into the house. None of the bullets had hit little Scott. Guillozet woke Scott up and put him in his car. He then fled the scene.
A Double Murderer Gets Two Consecutive Life Sentences
Carl Guillozet decided to drive to the house of Jack Seiber. Seiber was a probation officer who had become friends with Guillozet after working with him as a youth. On the way, Guillozet threw the murder weapon out the window. Guillozet arrived at Seiber’s home and told him what he had done. Seiber’s wife took Scott and Seiber called the sheriff. Detective Dan Byram came to the house and arrested Guillozet without incident.
Guillozet began talking immediately. When Detective Byram arrived at Seiber’s house, Guillozet stated “I didn’t want to shoot anybody.” Guillozet kept talking on the way to the jail. He told Detective Byram, “I had a gun and I used it.” When Detective Byram pulled over to let an emergency squad go by, Guillozet said, “I bet that’s them. I hope they are okay. I didn’t want to shoot them. They came at me and I kept pulling the trigger.” After arriving at the jail, Guillozet gave Detective Byram information about the gun, which he found in a side ditch on U.S. 127. It was later learned Guillozet purchased the gun only days prior to the murders. Guillozet was charged with two counts of aggravated murder.
Guillozet was eligible for the death penalty. The defense immediately decided to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. The prosecutor then offered a plea deal of two counts of aggravated murder with two consecutive (back to back) life sentences. The prosecutor did not want to risk Guillozet going to a mental hospital and being put back on the streets. Guillozet decided he would rather go to prison than a state mental hospital. Guillozet gave up all his rights and agreed to the plea deal. When he was sentenced by Judge Howard Eley, double murderer Carl Guillozet said nothing. No explanation, no apology.
On May 10, 1977, Carl Guillozet was given consecutive life sentences for the brutal murders of his wife and mother-in-law.
UPDATE: On August 23, 2012, the Ohio Parole Board granted parole to Carl Guillozet, despite the protests of our organization and the Baltes family. He was released on October 23, 2012 is now off all supervision. Guillozet had served only 37 years of his double life sentence. Based on the fact Guillozt murdered two innocent women in cold-blood we continue to believe he poses a serious threat to the community, especially women. Thank you to everyone who submitted a petition to block his parole. Rest In Debbie Guillozet and Virginia Baltes. You will never be forgotten.