Man who beat his grandfather to death with baseball bat in North Highlands gets 16 years to life
NORTH HIGHLANDS — A man convicted of beating his grandfather to death with a baseball bat in North Highlands two and a half years ago was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison, prosecutors announced Monday.
Frank Swanson IV was convicted of second-degree murder this October 26. The killing happened on the night of Thursday, March 26, 2020, along Bolivar Avenue.
The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said Swanson IV moved in with his grandfather, Frank "Pete" Swanson II in November 2019. The following March, Swanson IV grew angry over a financial situation. At this same time, he had stopped taking medication for schizoaffective bipolar disorder.
Swanson IV began destroying things in the home, which led to Swanson II threatening to kick his grandson out, prosecutors said. The next morning, a live-in caregiver left to get a restraining order against the younger Swanson. That same day, while Swanson II was sitting in front of his computer, Swanson IV approached him and exchanged words with his grandfather.
Prosecutors said it was at this point when Swanson IV walked away to grab a baseball bat, then returned and repeatedly struck his grandfather in the head with it.
Swanson IV walked outside the home to call 9-1-1 while his grandfather was unresponsive and slumped over in a chair in front of the computer.
Sacramento County sheriff's deputies responded and detained Swanson IV. Swanson II was rushed to the hospital where he was soon after pronounced dead. He was 78.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office at the time said deputies responded to three calls for service at the Bolivar Avenue home the day before and the morning of the homicide. Swanson IV was reportedly creating a disturbance each time but was not committing any crimes. The sheriff's office said he did not fit the criteria for a 5150, so he was allowed to stay at the home.
According to online court records, Swanson has a criminal history dating back to 2008 with charges including DUI, domestic violence against a spouse, aggravated battery, child endangerment and assault with a deadly weapon.
In 2014, Swanson IV used a wooden table leg to beat his pregnant wife while she was holding their other child, prosecutors said. For that, he received three years suspended sentence and went to mental health court, which he graduated from in 2018.
