My guess is perhaps it did already go through trustee sale. If it is a short sale it is not likely that the bank changed the locks prior to taking title.

A bank cannot change the locks on a home or even touch a home unless they hold title to the home. Maybe I am wrong but this is my understanding. If they did (and I am not an attorney) it would seem like they could be liable for a pretty serious lawsuit.

It is unlikely that the lender changed the locks.

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Is there a chance that there are other lien holders, perhaps private parties, to who the homeowners are subject to? Not all people get money from institutional lenders.