In a quiet, rural area of Fort Wayne, Indiana, the life of 67-year-old Roger Marvin Swedzinski, a white male, was brought to a tragic and violent end. On the morning of Saturday, July 26, 2025, a friend visiting his home in the 700 block of Hathaway Road made a grim discovery. Swedzinski was found deceased in his basement office, the victim of multiple gunshot wounds.
The Allen County Coroner's Office would later rule his death a homicide, the 25th in the county for that year.
The initial investigation into Swedzinski's death revealed unsettling details at the scene. A sliding door to the basement was found open, and a small trail of blood led to where his body was discovered. Notably, a gun safe in the basement was open, though it did not appear to have been ransacked. It was soon determined that ten 1/10 oz. 2006 American Eagle gold coins were missing, items Swedzinski had been selling on Facebook Marketplace. The last time family had spoken to him was around 9:30 p.m. the previous evening.
The Allen County Sheriff's Department, leading the investigation, appealed to the public for any information regarding suspicious activity in the area between the evening of Friday, July 25, and the early morning of Saturday, July 26. Their investigative efforts quickly bore fruit. A significant lead emerged when a man attempted to trade ten 1/10 oz. 2006 American Eagle gold coins for a gold bar at a local coin shop. This transaction led detectives to identify a suspect: 22-year-old Michael Chavez Gustin.
Further investigation into Gustin's activities revealed a web of incriminating evidence. It was discovered that he had researched Swedzinski on Facebook prior to the murder. His vehicle was placed at Swedzinski's property twice on the night of the homicide, with the second visit lasting from 1:41 a.m. to 2:22 a.m. In a bizarre and ultimately self-incriminating move, Gustin contacted the police on the day of the murder to report his 9mm Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol as stolen. He later called back to report two pairs of socks missing, expressing concern that they could be traced back to him if worn during the commission of a crime.
Based on the evidence gathered, Michael Chavez Gustin was arrested and subsequently charged with murder, felony murder, and burglary in connection with the death of Roger Marvin Swedzinski. The charges brought a swift, though not complete, sense of closure to a case that had shaken the peaceful community and left a family to mourn the tragic loss of a beloved husband, father, and grandfather.
