Shari Schweda

On December 7, 2024, a concerned neighbor’s call for a welfare check unraveled a double homicide in a quiet Leoni Township, Michigan, neighborhood. The events led to the death of Shari Schweda, a 70-year-old female, and her neighbor. The tragedy began when 57-year-old Thomas Farnsworth received a disturbing voicemail from Shari’s son, 40-year-old Roger Albert Schweda. In the message, Roger claimed he could not go inside his home because his mother was dead. Alarmed, Farnsworth called 911 to request that police check on the Schweda residence.

While on the phone with a dispatcher to confirm the home’s address, Farnsworth walked over to his neighbor’s property. Standing in the driveway, he told the 911 operator that Roger was pulling up in a vehicle. Moments later, a gunshot was heard over the open phone line, and Farnsworth became unresponsive. Officers with the Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety arrived to a grim scene. They found Farnsworth deceased in the driveway and discovered Shari Schweda’s body inside the home, in her bedroom. A prosecutor would later describe the scene of her death as “gruesome.”

Roger Schweda was not at the residence when police arrived. He had fled in his mother's vehicle, but authorities were able to track it to a nearby township. When they attempted a traffic stop, Roger tried to flee, leading to a brief police pursuit. He eventually pulled over and was taken into custody without further incident.

On December 9, 2024, Roger Schweda was arraigned and charged with two counts of open murder and two counts of felony firearms in connection with the deaths of his mother and Thomas Farnsworth. A judge ordered him to be held without bond and to undergo a competency examination.

In July 2025, Roger Schweda waived his right to a preliminary examination in court in order to pursue an insanity defense. Following further legal proceedings, he was committed to a psychiatric facility in January 2026.