Alan Schwalbe

Alan Schwalbe was a man of contrasts, remembered by his daughter for the good in him despite a troubled past. A 61-year-old male, he was a real estate investor, a landlord with properties across Southern California, and an outspoken activist for gay rights and fair housing. He had served on the board of the Fair Housing Council of Orange County for a decade. Earlier in his life, Schwalbe had been a political science teacher at schools in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, including Rea Elementary, TeWinkle Middle School, and Corona del Mar High School, from 1961 until 1974. His teaching career ended after a conviction for misdemeanor child molestation involving two male students, for which he served six months in jail. His daughter, Laura Bejerano, acknowledged his past was not "Boy Scout-ish," but insisted that it didn't give anyone the right to take his life.

On the afternoon of August 11, 1993, Alan Schwalbe was found murdered inside his five-bedroom home on the 300 block of 22nd Street, in an unincorporated area on the border of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. His body was discovered on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood, with a kitchen faucet still running nearby. He had been stabbed multiple times in the upper body, including the neck, chest, and heart. Investigators determined there had been a struggle, which likely moved from a hallway where Schwalbe kept a desk into the kitchen. Despite the violent confrontation, there were no signs of forced entry into the residence, and the home had not been ransacked.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has been investigating the homicide for decades. The case is one of about 140 active cold cases within the department. Over the years, DNA and other forensic evidence collected from the scene have been analyzed, but have so far failed to identify a suspect or a clear motive. In 2006, the case was entered into the FBI's Violent Crime Analysis Program to cross-reference it with other crimes. The investigation received renewed attention in 2022 when the Sheriff's Department's Cold Case Detail began re-submitting evidence for analysis using modern forensic technology, hoping that advancements could reveal clues that were previously undetectable.

Laura Bejerano, who was in her mid-20s when her father was killed, has lived with the uncertainty for most of her adult life. The experience inspired her to study forensic psychology. She has spoken of the "survivor's guilt" she felt, as she had been on her way to visit her father around the time of the murder but turned back. "I could have stopped them," was a thought that haunted her for years. She has expressed the bittersweet frustration of seeing other cold cases solved with new technology while her father's remains open. Investigators have stressed that Schwalbe's criminal history has no bearing on their commitment to solving his murder.

As time has passed, officials hope that changes in relationships and the weight of guilt might compel someone to come forward with information. Investigator Bob Taft of the Sheriff's Cold Case Detail noted that "people who may have been reluctant to come forward during the original investigation may feel more at ease coming forward now."

To encourage new leads after investigators exhausted all available avenues, the Governor of California offered a $50,000 reward for information. As of April 2026, the case remains unsolved. Governor Gavin Newsom reissued the $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Alan Schwalbe's murder. The Orange County Sheriff's Department continues to seek public assistance. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Cold Case Detail at 714-647-7046 or by email at [email protected].