Son Charged with Murder, Elder Abuse of 90-Year-Old Father After Extradition from Switzerland
SANTA CRUZ, CA – “SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF-CORONER
MEDIA RELEASE
Chris Clark
Sheriff-Coroner
5200 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 454-7616 FAX: (831) 454-7608
Media Release: October 28, 2025
Santa Cruz County Homicide Suspect Update
On May 18th, 2025, relatives of 90-year-old Robert Smallwood reported him missing after not being able to contact him for several days. On May 19th, Sheriff’s detectives, with the assistance of the SCSO Search and Rescue team, located Robert on his property deceased. An autopsy later revealed that Robert had died of traumatic injuries, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Sheriff’s detectives and the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s office launched a joint investigation which quickly determined the person responsible for the death was the decedent’s son, 54-year-old James Smallwood. James had been living with the decedent and had fled to Switzerland prior to the discovery of his father’s body. Investigators worked with the Swiss government, the US Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, and US Department of Homeland Security to locate James and take him into custody on May 29th, 2025.
With the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Embassy Bern, James’s extradition hearings were completed. Agents with the US Marshals, a District Attorney’s Office Inspector and Sheriff’s Office investigators transported James back to the United States. On October 20th, 2025, James was booked into Santa Cruz County Main Jail on the following charges:
Count 1: Murder, a felony, in violation of California Penal Code 187(a)
Count 2: Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse, a felony, in violation of California Penal Code 368(b)(1)
Count 3: Unlawful Driving or taking of a Vehicle, a felony, in violation of California Vehicle Code 10851(a)
Counts 4, 5, 6 and 7: Identity Theft, as felonies, in violation of California Penal Code 530.5(a)
Bail amount: $1,000,000
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security, US Marshals Service, US Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Zurich Cantonal Police, and the Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) Division for International Legal Assistance, for their critical assistance throughout this investigation.
Contact: Sgt. Zach West, Administration Bureau
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office”
