A 35-year-old Sycamore man has been charged with murder in connection with the violent deaths of his parents, authorities announced Tuesday.

The married couple, Gary A. Schmidt, 60, and Holly S. Schmidt, 59, were found dead inside their home in unincorporated Sycamore on Tuesday morning, prompting school lockdowns and a multi-county search for the person responsible, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

A family member had called the sheriff’s office at 8:40 a.m. Tuesday to check on their relatives. When deputies arrived, they found the Schmidts dead inside their home in the 1300 block of Oakland Drive.

DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan said authorities believe the Schmidts died from blunt force trauma. The DeKalb County Coroner’s Office will perform autopsies on Wednesday, he said.

“This is a tragic incident, and the Sheriff’s Office will work diligently to bring justice for the victims and their loved ones,” Sullivan said. “We ask anyone with information to come forward and assist us in this investigation.”

Kevin Schmidt, 35, who also lived in the home, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder. He’s expected to appear before a judge Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.

If convicted, he could face a life sentence.

He’s being held in DeKalb County Jail in the meantime, Sullivan said.

Holly Schmidt was a paraeducator at North Grove Elementary School in Sycamore, district records show. Gary Schmidt worked in construction, a neighbor told Shaw Local News Network.

Authorities said Kevin Schmidt was found in the Rockford area driving a vehicle that was missing from his parents’ home. Police found the vehicle via a license plate camera.

Schmidt was detained by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and then transferred to DeKalb County for police questioning, Sullivan said.

Charges were announced shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday.

“Our thoughts are with the family that has been impacted by this crime,” Sullivan said Tuesday evening.

Dozens of police, including sheriff’s deputies and officers from DeKalb and Sycamore, congregated around the home for most of the day Tuesday. In the morning, two officers were seen walking around to neighboring homes, appearing to look around the ground.

Some neighbors gathered to watch. Others also came to the scene, including Molly Swick, who said she was a longtime friend of Holly Schmidt.

“We’ve been friends for 25 years,” Swick said, appearing distraught.

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Molly Swick, is met by a DeKalb County sheriff’s deputy as she arrives on the scene Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in front of a house in the 1300 block of Oakland Drive in Sycamore where two people were found dead Tuesday morning. (Mark Busch)

A neighbor told Shaw Local that police had been called to the home before.

Lt. Ryan Pettengell of the sheriff’s office was at the scene about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday. He said about 15 deputies were present.

“This remains an active police investigation,” Pettengell said.

Oakland Drive remained closed to through traffic as of 5 p.m. Authorities with the DeKalb County Coroner’s Office arrived in the afternoon and were seen exiting and entering the home wearing protective gear.

Sullivan said he expects his deputies to remain on the scene, likely for the rest of the day. Police are not letting motorists or bystanders through the area.

The Sycamore School District 427 was under a brief soft lockdown at the request of Sycamore police due to the investigation, district officials said. The Oakland Drive home is less than a mile from Sycamore Middle School.

The district returned to normal operations about 11:25 a.m., officials announced.

Interim Sycamore superintendent Nick Reineck announced the lockdown to district families in a 10:42 a.m. email. Less than an hour later, Reineck said the soft lockdown had ended.

“We want to inform you that the districtwide soft lockdown has been lifted,” Reineck wrote at 11:25 a.m. “Normal operations have resumed in all of our schools. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this precautionary measure.”

In both messages he sent to district stakeholders, Reineck said the lockdown was a precautionary measure that stemmed from a Sycamore police investigation.

Sycamore Police Chief Erik Mahan said he decided to act when his department learned of the investigation.

“As a matter of caution, the Police Department requested that Sycamore School place the schools in a soft lockdown,” Mahan said. “At this time, the sheriff’s office investigation is ongoing, however, the lockdown has been lifted. We are working closely with the sheriff’s office and information and updates will be made available when possible.”

This story was updated at 12:49 p.m. and 6:04 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. on Sept. 30, 2025. Check back for updates.