TN TN - Karen Swift, 44, Dyersburg, 30 Oct 2011 - #2

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Sorry if that was posted already, just hadn't heard about the bonus!

Carry on, I feel like I just barged in.
 
panthera said:
This article appears to indicate it was more than strangulation.

"Box stated the injuries to Swift's body, coupled with the placement of it, warranted the investigation to turn from a missing person case to a murder investigation."

http://www.stategazette.com/story/1793716.html
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I guess that tells us that she put up a fight and lost. I wonder if it's multiple injuries as seen in rage murders.
 
otto said:
I guess that tells us that she put up a fight and lost. I wonder if it's multiple injuries as seen in rage murders.
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It would be interesting to know if any of the injuries are defensive in nature. I would imagine if she were killed inside the house, there would be some evidence left behind if 1) there was bloodshed or 2) she scratched him while trying to defend herself. I would also believe if these injuries occurred inside the home, there would have been some noise, such as a fight which would've wakened the children.

Therefore, if her husband is responsible, perhaps she was subdued in some manner, transported to where she was found, and then killed, in order not leave any evidence inside the house and to make it appear someone else did it.

:waitasec:

MOO
 
On NG, a brief clip of a man speaking seemed to say that the area had been searched prior. It suggested that she hasn't been there all along, but had been dumped there after the area was searched.

It's not clear if this is what he was saying or suggesting, but it seemed to be.
 
belimom said:
When I saw the location of where Karen's body was found, I noticed the proximity to the river. Almost a direct route from their home to the river, actually - if you take Harness Road, it goes right to where her body was located.

So I wonder if the original goal was to put her body in the river but that plan was abandoned for some reason? That theory was reinforced when I just re-read the entire 1st thread (see my post above). I thought I'd remind us all of a previous search mentioned where they scanned the riverbed and also dragged it (IIRC). The location was about 3 miles from the Swift's home. I think the phone must have pinged there - or else something else was found that made them look in that area earlier on.

I know this is a long post below, but I'm amazed at how close she actually was to that river search. Something led LE to the river - or to that general area, IMO.

From Thread One:
Click to expand...

Here, we can see how close she was to the river

karenswiftfoundriver-1.jpg
 
dovebar said:
On NG, a brief clip of a man speaking seemed to say that the area had been searched prior. It suggested that she hasn't been there all along, but had been dumped there after the area was searched.

It's not clear if this is what he was saying or suggesting, but it seemed to be.
Click to expand...

Forensics will be able to determine if she has been there since Oct. 30 or not by the vegetation, it's growth, and if there is any disturbance to it.

MOO
 
The fact that she wasn't found in the same area as her clothes indicates to me that it wasn't some random serial killer. They would have taken her to a place where they assaulted her and left everything there. No thought would have been taken to secret her clothes away. Why not just dump them with the body?
 
panthera said:
It would be interesting to know if any of the injuries are defensive in nature. I would imagine if she were killed inside the house, there would be some evidence left behind if 1) there was bloodshed or 2) she scratched him while trying to defend herself. I would also believe if these injuries occurred inside the home, there would have been some noise, such as a fight which would've wakened the children.

Therefore, if her husband is responsible, perhaps she was subdued in some manner, transported to where she was found, and then killed, in order not leave any evidence inside the house and to make it appear someone else did it.

:waitasec:

MOO
Click to expand...

I hope that there is DNA under her fingernails ... that will certainly help. I always wondered about how DNA was found in Morgan Harrington's case as she was mostly bones (as her mother put it), but it was found.
 
dovebar said:
On NG, a brief clip of a man speaking seemed to say that the area had been searched prior. It suggested that she hasn't been there all along, but had been dumped there after the area was searched.

It's not clear if this is what he was saying or suggesting, but it seemed to be.
Click to expand...

I've read two things: one, that the area was not searched and two, that it would have been impossible for anyone to spot her given the vegetation.
 
otto said:
I hope that there is DNA under her fingernails ... that will certainly help. I always wondered about how DNA was found in Morgan Harrington's case as she was mostly bones (as her mother put it), but it was found.
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If there is DNA under her fingernails from scratching her assailant, he should have had marks on him immediately after her disappearance. Question: was the husband ever examined?

:waitasec:

MOO
 
otto said:
I've read a flat tire, a split tire and now two slashed tires. As far as I know, police haven't released information about the tires other than a "flat tire".
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I don't remember LE releasing the details either. At any rate, whatever it was, it's improbable she left home with it in that condition.

Staging........

MOO
 
otto said:
I recall Karen's brother saying that the husband claimed that he spoke to Karen from the top of the stairs, and perhaps he said that she was leaving at that time as well. If the husband claims this was at 1:30 AM, that doesn't add up because Karen's daughter called at about 1:30 or Karen returned home at about 1:30, and then she went to bed with her daughter. If Karen was leaving, it would have to be later than 1:30. Also, there is nothing, other than the husband's statement, to suggest that she left at that time of night.
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I am suspicious of his story, and of his involvement in her death. It is possible she did leave to get away from him. He admitted seeing her in the early morning hours, so he might have been harassing her and she left and a stranger might have murdered her.
 
Joe Friday said:
BBM

I said "likely" eliminates him, I know it doesn't exclude him 100%...

If he did raped her that evening before killing her (this is assuming he killed her) than his DNA will likely be found. I don't imagine he would have used a condom being it was his wife. I think he is going to have a lot of explaining to do if his DNA is found vaginally during her autopsy. The likelihood that Karen and David were still having a sexual relationship after the filing of divorce papers is highly unlikely. I think her friends could corroborate if she was or was not.

In a perfect world DNA would be found, a match would be made and a suspect would be arrested. Whether it is the husband or someone else.

Hopefully we are living in a perfect world for Karen's sake, DNA is found and that person's DNA is on record.

If DNA is found but a match is not I would be subpoenaing DNA evidence from both the neighbors. Mr. Hogshooter and the neighbor that said he pulled up behind Karen's car that early morning but she was not inside. Who's to say she didn't take a ride from him but instead of dropping her off at her house he kept on going to the spot where her body was found?

It is quiet possible someone picked her up from her car and offered her a ride home. There could have even been more than one person, possibly it was a hunter out in the early morning hours. Since her house was on the way to the cemetery where her body was found she could have been offered a ride, abducted, possibly raped, killed and dropped at the cemetery location by a seemingly good Samaritan. The motive for someone to do this would have likely been sexual and I think there would be a good chance DNA would be found than as well.

JMO

ETA: I know it doesn't explain the cloths in the bush. I will have to think about that for a while.
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The only reason I'm not inclined to think a good samaritian turned bad did this is because of the jeans and hoodie found. Why would they take those if they abducted her? Also, LE stated the car had made a U turn to park the car heading for home. Will admit...for some reason if it was Mr Hogshooter, I'm feeling he would have taken them. Personal vindictiveness...and more attention to details.

Just for clarification, could someone inform me whether she had her keys with her or were they found in the car...since it was apparently unlocked. TIA Strange to me that someone would leave their car along a hwy unlocked these days.
 
I watched the first few minutes of Nancy Grace tonight, and the intro about Karen was riddled with inaccuracy.

Dyersburg is not exactly a "suburb of the Memphis area." It is 77 miles north-northeast of Memphis.

And the body wasn't "covered with ice and snow that just melted."

The Sheriff said the vegetation hiding the body had died from frost and low temperatures. Think about what happens in gardens and roadsides everywhere after a frost - the summer plants die, the deciduous leaves fall, the grass turns brown, and some plants that seem really big in summer like goldenrod and other weeds collapse when frozen. That's what happened. Whoever put her body there didn't count on that fact.
 
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