Convicted murderer Benjamin Edward Schreiber argued that his life sentence should be considered complete after he “died” and was resuscitated in 2015.
Schreiber was serving a life sentence without parole for the murder of John Terry in the 1990s. While in Iowa State Penitentiary, he developed severe kidney stones and septic poisoning. After collapsing in his cell, doctors had to restart his heart five times using adrenaline, despite a prior “do not resuscitate” order. His brother reportedly told doctors: “If he is in pain, you may give him something to ease the pain, but otherwise you are to let him pass.”
Following his recovery, Schreiber filed for post-conviction relief in 2018, claiming his brief death fulfilled his life sentence. However, Judge Amanda Potterfield rejected his request in 2019, stating: “Schreiber is either still alive… or he is actually dead, in which case this appeal is moot.”
The court concluded: “Nothing in the record supports [his] claims,” emphasizing his living status through his legal filings. Schreiber died of natural causes in April 2023 in a Fort Dodge hospital.
