One of Tucson's most infamous murder cases will be featured at 9 p.m. today on CBS's "48 Hours Mystery."
"An Eye for an Eye" delves into the brutal Oct. 5, 2004, slaying of pediatric eye surgeon Dr. David Brian Stidham.
Bradley Schwartz and Ronald Bruce Bigger are serving life sentences in Stidham's death. Schwartz was convicted last year of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and Bigger was convicted earlier this year of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Pinal County prosecutors Sylvia Lafferty and Richard Platt believe Schwartz paid Bigger $10,000 for the slaying because he was angry Stidham had abandoned their joint practice while Schwartz was in a drug-rehabilitation program.
Stidham ended up with many of Schwartz's patients after Schwartz and Schwartz's girlfriend, Lourdes Lopez, were indicted on federal drug-fraud charges in September 2002 and Schwartz's medical license was temporarily suspended.
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Lopez is featured prominently in tonight's show, along with Pima County sheriff's Detective Jill Murphy, who was the lead detective on the case.
The CBS crew also conducted interviews with Lafferty; Stidham's mother and sister; Schwartz's office manager, Laurie Espinoza; Schwartz's alibi, Lisa Goldberg; and defense attorney Brick Storts.
The program doesn't include details from Bigger's trial, nor does it address the recently settled civil lawsuit that had been filed by Stidham's widow against Lopez, Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall and former prosecutor Paul Skitzki.
It also doesn't address Lopez's problems with the State Bar of Arizona.
Bigger and Schwartz were arrested shortly after Lopez went to detectives and said Schwartz had told her he wanted to hire a hit man to kill Stidham and stage the incident to look like a carjacking.
In the days and weeks after the arrests, it was learned that Lopez may have told Skitzki about Schwartz's alleged plot before the murder.
LaWall fired Skitzki for not reporting Lopez's allegations and suspended three other attorneys — attorneys who learned of Lopez's story after the slaying but also failed to report it immediately.
Daphne Stidham filed her lawsuit because she believed Skitzki and Lopez could have prevented her husband's death and the county should be held accountable for their inaction. The lawsuit was settled earlier this month for $2.29 million.
Under the terms of the settlement, Daphne Stidham agreed to dismiss LaWall, Pima County and Lopez from the lawsuit.
Pima County agreed to pay the entire judgment on behalf of Skitzki, who insists he didn't know about Schwartz's plot beforehand.
The Arizona Supreme Court's disciplinary commission has recommended disbarment for Lopez because even after Lopez and Schwartz were indicted on the drug-fraud charges, she continued a relationship with Schwartz despite being ordered not to, and she lied about it.
If the Arizona Supreme Court opts not to review Lopez's case, she will be disbarred. It has not yet made a decision as to whether it will review the case.
images from tonight's show
CBS's "48 Hours Mystery" show will take the viewer through the investigation of the murder of Dr. David Brian Stidham. From left, the opening titles, home video of Stidham, Dr. Bradley Schwartz and Pima County sheriff's Detective Jill Murphy.
