Pleasanton woke to tragedy on February 18 when Lori and Evan Simonds were found shot to death in their cozy Joanne Circle home. It was just past 10 a.m. when a pool cleaner’s frantic 911 call brought police rushing in. Lori, a 67-year-old mother, and Evan, her 28-year-old son with big dreams in wrestling and life, were pronounced dead at the scene. No weapon lay among them.
From the very start, investigators focused on a familiar face. Allen Swadley, a 32-year-old athletic trainer from San Jose, had once been part of their daily life. Swadley dated Lori’s daughter, Melissa, until late December and spent nights at the house. That history gave him knowledge of the family’s hidden key and a presence in their lives that went deeper than most.
Surveillance footage and automated license plate readers linked Swadley’s 2025 Toyota Camry to the area around the Simonds home the hour before the shootings. When officers located him in San Jose the next day, he admitted he had been at the house that morning. Multiple firearms were seized from his vehicle and home, and tests are underway to determine if any were used in the killings.
Swadley now sits in Santa Rita Jail without bail, charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances. Prosecutors say he deliberately entered the home with criminal intent. If a jury agrees, he could spend the rest of his life in prison without parole. His attorney will next appear in court with him on March 9 as the case moves forward.
The community has felt the loss sharply. Friends of Lori and Evan speak of them not just as victims of a crime, but as people who filled their household with love and energy. Lori was known for her kindness, Evan for his strong work ethic and his passion on the wrestling mat. Their deaths have left a gap in the lives of those who knew them.
In the days since, neighbors gathered by candlelight to honor their memory and share stories of a mother and son who had been anchors in their lives. A fundraiser for Melissa, the sole surviving immediate family member, has grown as friends and strangers alike offer support in the wake of a loss that has shaken a usually peaceful community.
Through the grief, authorities are still searching for answers about why this happened, urging anyone with clues to step forward. The case remains active as Pleasanton tries to make sense of a violent morning that stole two of its own.
