In the small town of Frackville, Pennsylvania, a grim discovery was made on May 24, 2017, that brought a dark story to light. Todd J. Swantek, a 49-year-old male, was found deceased in the residence he shared with his son. The discovery was made after concerned parties had not seen or heard from him since the end of March. When Frackville police arrived at the home to conduct a welfare check, they were met with a foul odor that led them to the decomposing body of Mr.
Swantek on a first-floor couch.
The investigation into Todd Swantek's death quickly turned into a homicide case. It was determined that he had been dead for weeks. His body was found covered with blankets and a sleeping bag, with pillows placed over his head in an apparent attempt to conceal what had happened. To mask the odor of decomposition, numerous scented candles, air fresheners, and a fly strip had been placed around the home, and blankets were tucked at the base of exterior doors. Phone records indicated that the last contact from the victim was in early April, suggesting he had been deceased for a significant period before being found.
The focus of the investigation soon fell upon his son, 24-year-old Tyler Swantek. Investigators learned of escalating arguments between the father and son, with allegations that Tyler had threatened to kill his father. While being held on unrelated drug charges, Tyler Swantek was questioned about his father's death. In his bedroom, police discovered a high-powered. 177 caliber pellet rifle with what appeared to be blood spatter on it. The pellets from this rifle were consistent with the wounds found on the victim's skull.
Ultimately, Tyler Swantek was charged with criminal homicide, first and third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and abuse of a corpse. In November 2018, he pleaded guilty to third-degree murder for the shooting death of his father. Following his guilty plea, Tyler Swantek was sentenced to serve 25 to 50 years in prison for the crime.
