Roger Schweda (Blackman-Leoni Township Police via WLNS).
An individual from Michigan has been accused of shooting his own mother and a neighbor in his driveway. It all started when the neighbor received a strange voicemail from the alleged shooter, informing him that his mother was dead and he couldn’t enter his house.
Roger Albert Schweda, aged 40, is facing charges of open murder and felony firearms counts in connection to the deaths of his mother, Shari Schweda, aged 70, and Thomas Farnsworth, aged 57, as per online court documents.
The tragic chain of events unfolded on a Saturday when Roger Schweda reportedly shot and killed his mother at their residence on Welch Lake Road in Leoni Township, a small area in the south-central region of the state.
More on Law&Crime: ‘We’re out here in the parking lot with a deceased body’: Accused murderer brought defense attorney along to turn his dead father’s body into police
Roger Schweda then allegedly left Farnsworth a voicemail message saying he couldn’t go home anymore because his mother was dead, local NBC affiliate WILX reported.
The case came to light when Farnsworth called police to do a welfare check at the Schweda home, the outlet reported.
On that call, Farnsworth physically verified the Schweda address to 911 dispatchers by going to the home and was allegedly shot in the driveway by the defendant as he was pulling into the driveway, the outlet reported. A gunshot could be heard over the phone, but Farnsworth did not speak again, the station reported.
More on Law&Crime: ‘Googling how to manipulate this footage’: Murder conviction in jeopardy after jury allegedly searched how to enhance ‘pivotal’ surveillance video during deliberations
Roger Schweda then allegedly took off in his mother’s car, which was later tracked down in a township miles away, where he was pulled over in a traffic stop after a short chase and arrested, MLive reported.
At the Schweda home, police found Farnsworth dead in the driveway, WILX reported. Police described “a gruesome scene” in the bedroom where Shari Schweda’s body was located, the station reported.
Roger Schweda was held at the Jackson County Jail without bond. He was set to appear in court on Jan. 3, online court records show.
The defendant is expected to undergo a competency exam, MLive reported.
