Courtney Schulhoff was sixteen years old when she would murder her father in Florida
According to court documents Courtney Schulhoff would tell her much older boyfriend Michael Morin was abusing her on a regular basis
Courtney Schulhoff and Michael Morin would go to her father’s home where Morin would beat him to death with a baseball bat
Courtney Schulhoff and Michael Morin would soon be arrested.
Once the two were in custody they quickly started to blame the other person for the brutal murder.
When Courtney was convicted she attempted to take full responsibility for the murder of her father saying Michael had nothing to do with it. However the jury did not buy it and convicted Morin of murder
Courtney Schulhoff was sentenced to life in prison. However she would later receive a reduced sentence of forty years
Michael Morin was sentenced to life in prison without parole
Where Is Courtney Schulhoff Today
Courtney Schulhoff is currently incarcerated at Lowell Correctional Institution in Florida
Courtney Schulhoff Current Information
| DC Number: | 154495 |
|---|---|
| Name: | SCHULHOFF, COURTNEY C |
| Race: | WHITE |
| Sex: | FEMALE |
| Birth Date: | 12/27/1987 |
| Initial Receipt Date: | 11/16/2006 |
| Current Facility: | LOWELL C.I. |
| Current Custody: | MEDIUM |
| Current Release Date: | 02/02/2038 |
Michael Morin Current Information
| DC Number: | E20741 |
|---|---|
| Name: | MORIN, MICHAEL L |
| Race: | WHITE |
| Sex: | MALE |
| Birth Date: | 08/19/1983 |
| Initial Receipt Date: | 06/28/2007 |
| Current Facility: | SUWANNEE C.I. ANNEX |
| Current Custody: | CLOSE |
| Current Release Date: | SENTENCED TO LIFE |
Courtney Schulhoff Case
An Altamonte Springs woman who was initially sentenced to life in prison for helping murder her father with a baseball bat in February 2004, was given a reduced sentence Thursday: 40 years.
Courtney Schulhoff was 16 when she told her boyfriend she wanted her father dead; then, while her father was asleep, placed a baseball bat outside his bedroom door. Minutes later, the boyfriend, Michael Lawrence Morin Jr., picked up the bat, went inside and used it to beat Steven Schulhoff, 48, to death in his bed.
Morin, now 33, and Schulhoff were convicted at separate trials in Sanford and each was sentenced to life in prison.
Morin was 20 at the time.
She was prosecuted as an adult and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The U.S. Supreme Court has since ruled that sending underage offenders to prison for life with no prospect for release amounts to cruel and unusual punishment and, therefore, is unconstitutional.
That was the reason for Thursday’s resentencing.
According to evidence at Schulhoff’s trial, her father didn’t want her dating Morin, a homeless, out-of-work car thief.
That didn’t keep them apart, though. Morin would slip into the Schulhoffs’ apartment through her bedroom window at night.
Courtney Schulhoff, now 29, also was angry that her father had cut off her access to credit cards.
One witness told jurors that he had heard the two talking about killing Steven Schulhoff months before the Feb. 10, 2004, attack.
Morin told police that he grabbed the aluminum bat and stepped into Steven Schulhoff’s bedroom but blacked out after that. The next thing he remembered, he told them, was standing there with the victim’s blood on his clothing.
Courtney Schulhoff was convicted first; when Morin went on trial, prosecutors were seeking the death penalty. She took the witness stand and claimed that she, alone, killed her father. Jurors did not believe her.
Schulhoff has been in state prison since 2006 but was returned to the Seminole County Jail for Thursday’s hearing.
Courtney Schulhoff Video
Watch Courtney Schulhoff Video – Teens Who Kill – Real Cases of Teen Violence
Courtney Schulhoff: The 16-Year-Old Who Killed Her Father
Courtney Christine Schulhoff (born December 27, 1987) is an American prisoner who was convicted of the bludgeoning death of her father in his Altamonte Springs, Florida apartment when she was 16 years old. She was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in September 2006. In March 2017, Schulhoff was given a reduced sentence of 40 years.
Background: A Troubled Teen Romance
Courtney Schulhoff lived in Altamonte Springs, Florida with her father after her parents divorced. She attended Lyman High School, but had dropped out and was pursuing her GED. Before dropping out, 15-year-old Schulhoff began dating Michael Morin, a man whom she had met at a dog race track across the street from her high school.
Morin, who was five years Schulhoff’s senior, was on probation for car theft after stealing his father’s car. Schulhoff’s father did not approve of their relationship but the couple continued to date. They would often hang out at a local gas station where Schulhoff reportedly told Morin that her father physically abused her regularly.
The Murder: February 9, 2004
On the night of February 9, 2004, Schulhoff’s father Stephen was beaten to death inside his apartment. After the murder, Schulhoff and Morin reportedly drove to a McDonald’s 20 miles away in Orlando, Florida using Stephen Schulhoff’s truck.
The weapon was a Louisville Slugger baseball bat. Later, the couple returned to the apartment. Morin later said that he and Schulhoff had planned to take her father’s body to Brevard County and throw it off a bridge.
Arrest and Conflicting Stories
Schulhoff and Morin were apprehended on February 11 after Stephen Schulhoff’s girlfriend, Elaine Bouck, came to the apartment to check on Stephen. Bouck called 911 after seeing the couple flee from the apartment.
Schulhoff later told police that she and Morin had decided to kill her father after her father had beaten her on February 9. She initially claimed that while she was out taking her father’s dog for a walk, Morin had decided to “take care of the problem” and kill Stephen. Schulhoff claimed that when she returned, she discovered Morin covered in blood and saw the baseball bat by the front door.
Morin denied that he had initiated the killing, stating that Schulhoff left the Louisville Slugger baseball bat used to kill Stephen Schulhoff outside the bedroom door for him to use. Morin claimed that he had tried to talk Schulhoff out of killing her father, to no avail. He also claimed to have no memory of beating Stephen Schulhoff, stating that he “blacked out” as soon as he grabbed the bat.
In a second interview with police, Schulhoff admitted that she waited at the apartment’s tennis court area while Morin killed her father and intentionally left the baseball bat by the door for Morin.
Trial: Who Was the Killer?
Courtney Schulhoff was the first to stand trial. Her trial began on September 26, 2006. Prosecutors alleged that although Michael Morin had committed the murder, Schulhoff had orchestrated it. She did not testify in her own defense.
The next day, she was found guilty of first-degree murder. Because she was only 16 when the murder was committed, she was ineligible for the death penalty; on September 27, 2006, she was sentenced to life without parole.
After the judge handed down the sentence, Courtney Schulhoff spoke out in open court, stating: “Your Honor, I would like to openly admit in court that Michael Morin is not the person who killed my father. I was. So, I accept full responsibility, and I accept the verdict.”
Michael Morin’s Trial
Michael Morin’s murder trial began on April 16, 2007. Unlike his former girlfriend, he was facing a death sentence if convicted. During his testimony, he admitted killing Stephen Schulhoff but expressed regret.
At the trial, Schulhoff also testified in Morin’s defense. She had given a new deposition after her conviction, and stated that she was the one who had bludgeoned Stephen Schulhoff to death with the baseball bat. However, on April 26, 2007, Michael Morin was convicted. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole, and is serving his sentence at Taylor Correctional Institution.
Life in Prison and Media Attention
In 2009, Schulhoff was interviewed at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida by RTL, a German news show, about the punishment of life without parole for juvenile offenders. In 2011, her case appeared on an episode of Snapped on the Oxygen Network. In 2015, Schulhoff was interviewed by former FBI criminal profiler Candice DeLong for Investigation Discovery’s Facing Evil.
Resentencing to 40 Years
In 2017, Schulhoff was given a reduced sentence of 40 years following U.S. Supreme Court decisions banning mandatory life without parole for juveniles. She will be eligible for release in her 50s.
Where Is Courtney Schulhoff Now? 2026 Update
As of 2026, Courtney Schulhoff remains incarcerated at Lowell Correctional Institution in Florida. Now 38 years old, she has spent more than half her life behind bars. With her 40-year sentence, her projected release date is around 2044.
Her case remains a textbook example in debates about teen dating violence, parental control, and whether juveniles who orchestrate murders should receive the same punishment as the person who swings the bat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Courtney Schulhoff kill her father?
She claimed her father physically abused her and disapproved of her relationship with 21-year-old Michael Morin.
Did Courtney or Michael actually kill Stephen Schulhoff?
Both have confessed at different times. The jury found Schulhoff guilty as the orchestrator; Morin was convicted as the principal.
How long is Courtney Schulhoff’s sentence?
Originally life without parole (2006), reduced to 40 years in 2017.
Where is Michael Morin now?
Taylor Correctional Institution, Florida, serving life without parole.
