In a quiet home in Parks Township, Pennsylvania, the lives of 29-year-old Dawayne Robin Klingensmith and 22-year-old Heather Swiklinski were brought to a violent end on November 13, 2017. The couple was found shot to death inside their residence, leaving behind a chilling scene for the family member who made the discovery. Miraculously, Swiklinski's 17-month-old son was found unharmed in his crib amidst the tragedy that had unfolded.
Investigators determined that multiple weapons were used in the commission of the crime, suggesting a complex and brutal series of events.
The initial investigation led police to believe the double homicide was drug-related. Two weeks prior to the killings, the couple had reportedly been assaulted during a break-in at their home. In the months following the murders, a man named George Peace was arrested on charges of evidence tampering. Authorities alleged that Peace was instructed by a suspect to dispose of a handgun used in the slayings and had traded it for drugs. However, Peace was later released, and his attorney expressed hope that all suspicion against his client would be dismissed.
More than two years after the deaths of Klingensmith and Swiklinski, a significant breakthrough occurred in the case. In February 2020, authorities announced the arrest of Kevin Lamont Ware in Washington, D.C. He was charged with two counts of criminal homicide, robbery, burglary, and other offenses related to the deaths. According to court documents, witness testimony was crucial in identifying Ware as the suspect. A mutual acquaintance of Klingensmith and Ware told investigators that Ware had been given a ride to the couple's home on the day of the murders, allegedly to collect a $1,000 debt. The man who drove Ware to the residence stated that Ware pushed his way into the house with a visible pistol, after which the driver heard a scream and fled the scene. The same witness later told police that Ware confessed to shooting Klingensmith. Ware is awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania to face the charges.
