TN - Karen Swift, 44, murdered, Dyersburg, 30 Oct 2011 *husband charged in 2022* #4

DNA Solves
DNA Solves
DNA Solves

New Posts

Foxfire said:
Get this man and make it stick?
As in Karen's case many folks thought that the person responsible for Holly's disappearance was the last person to see her alive. Perceived hypothesis; pick out a suspect and then make the evidence fit... Imo, all indicators point to a slight acquaintance/stranger abduction/murder by a sexual predator, likely meth related, as in Holly's case.
There is no such thing as a perfect crime.. Only an imperfect investigation..
Mrs Carol Johnson; mother of Karen Swift has a hole in her heart that only her daughter can fill. Three years is past time for Justice to be served in the Swift investigation.
Click to expand...

Not at all my intended meaning. I meant that if they have to wait five years or whatever, better to make sure they have a solid case, than try anyone too quickly. I fully believe she was a victim of her estranged husband, jmo.
 
What stood out to me yesterday, and yet again today, is the comment, "surely we would like to interview him". Reminiscent of Josh Powell.... Never asking about the investigation. Saying he has been in "full cooperation" with the police even though they haven't had a full interview with him.

Why in the world didn't they get a full interview with David Swift? Is he not agreeing to an interview? That is what it sounds like. So very sad... Unfortunately, I am not as hopeful as I would like to be. I had hoped for a break, but what I think we have is a reminder that the anniversary of her disappearance and death is here.
 
Investigators say she's in the process of getting divorced. Her husband and close friends have already been interviewed. Foul play is not suspected at this time.
Click to expand...

http://www.kait8.com/story/15924675/police-continue-to-search-for-missing-tn-mother



"Their relationship was pretty volatile," Jane said. "She wanted to leave with the kids and start over. She wouldn't leave her kids behind. That was the only reason she was still in that marriage. She wanted them to have a stable environment until she got all her stuff together."

"It's so bizarre," Jane added. "She filed for divorce and then disappeared. I don't believe that coincidences like that happen, but they could. You never know. Something obviously happened to her."

David Swift has been interviewed by police, and has not been called a suspect or person of interest in his wife's disappearance. He has yet to speak with the media but, according to WMC-TV, he did recently tell a friend on Facebook, "We want her home and love her very much."
Click to expand...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/09/karen-johnson-swift-missing-clothing_n_1084468.html



Johnson described his daughter as a talented landscaper with a devoted group of customers in her hometown of Walnut Ridge, Ark., where her parents live. Swift was scheduled to go to Arkansas today to do some landscaping.

Swift's mother last spoke to her on Friday. "She sounded excited about coming down here and working," said her father.

He imagines that his daughter got a flat tire and thought she'd just walk home when something must have happened to her.

"She usually runs about three miles a day. She's in real good shape," he said. "She probably figured she'd be able to get home in 10 minutes [on foot]."

Swift is in the process of getting divorced and her husband has been interviewed by police and is not considered a suspect.
Click to expand...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/mother-missing-tennessee/story?id=14867155#.TtF1sLJCquJ


Sounds like the interviews are over with boys, better work from the evidence now................................
 
cluciano63 said:
Thank goodness. Really tired of bloggers and what-not trying to add Karen to a so-called list of "blondes murdered across the SE" as if they were all victims of a serial. We know they are not...Holly was on the list, as well as at least two others who had abusive Bf's or spouses.

Please get this man and make it stick
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. I'd blame the trend in movies and television -- a trend that finally seems to be waning -- that somewhat romanticized serial murderers as evil geniuses, and those who chased them as benevolent heroes. It gave a lot of laypeople the impression that there were way more serial murderers active than there are, and that most serial murderers are intelligent but warped folks engaged in some sort of aesthetic psychopathy that involves ritualism. It has created a lot of false impressions, and I think that the tendency of folks to think serial murderers are responsible for many if not most murders distracts them from the actual facts of the murders they study. (Fortunately, professional LE is not affected by this trend, I would think.)
 
Montjoy said:
I couldn't agree more. I'd blame the trend in movies and television -- a trend that finally seems to be waning -- that somewhat romanticized serial murderers as evil geniuses, and those who chased them as benevolent heroes. It gave a lot of laypeople the impression that there were way more serial murderers active than there are, and that most serial murderers are intelligent but warped folks engaged in some sort of aesthetic psychopathy that involves ritualism. It has created a lot of false impressions, and I think that the tendency of folks to think serial murderers are responsible for many if not most murders distracts them from the actual facts of the murders they study. (Fortunately, professional LE is not affected by this trend, I would think.)
Click to expand...

<BBM for Focus>

Yep Montjoy, prolly just a lot of laypeople with vivid imaginations.. Guess, the recent arrests of IN<Darren Deon Vann 43> and VA<Jesse Matthew 32> ; two unknown serial killers with who knows how many victims that they are responsible for. Or the 2009 FBI Long Haul Trucker Serial Killer Initiative, which identified more than 500 murder victims from along or near highways, as well as a list of some 200 potential suspects, yet has refused to release an update of suspects or victim totals in over 5 years.. Go figure.. Prolly just the vivid imaginations of the special agents and profilers/laypersons of the FBI BAU, huh?

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2009/april/highwayserial_040609 <see Victim Map>

10/20/2014
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...mmond-over-weekend-20141020-story.html#page=1
Murder charges filed against Darren Deon Vann, 43 in deaths of 7 women ...

______________________

How did Jesse Matthew fly under the radar for so long?
http://augustafreepress.com/jesse-matthew-fly-radar-long/

Jesse Matthew, in jail in connection with the Sept.13/2014 disappearance of second-year UVA student Hannah Graham, has been connected to the 2009 disappearance and murder of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, the 2005 sexual assault of a woman in Fairfax and had been investigated for a 2002 sexual .
______________________

FBI makes a connection between long-haul truckers, serial killers... FBI officials declined to provide The Times with a more detailed breakdown of the database's contents.
articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/05/local/me-serialkillers5
Apr 5, 2009 - The FBI suspects that serial killers working as long-haul truckers.

The FBI suspects that serial killers working as long-haul truckers are responsible for the slayings of hundreds of prostitutes, hitchhikers and stranded motorists whose bodies have been dumped near highways over the last three decades.

Federal authorities first made the connection about five years ago while helping police link a trucker to a string of unsolved killings along Interstate 40 in Oklahoma and several other states. After that, the FBI launched the Highway Serial Killings Initiative to track suspicious slayings and suspect truckers.

A computer database maintained by the FBI has grown to include information on more than 500 female crime victims, most of whom were killed and their bodies discarded at truck stops, motels and other locations along popular trucking routes crisscrossing the U.S.

Although some local police agencies have been briefed on the program, the FBI had not publicized its existence outside law enforcement until earlier this year, when officials agreed to show The Times the inner workings of the operation and share details of some of their cases.

Housed in a nondescript brick building on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., FBI analysts pore over reports and computer entries looking for patterns in slayings from California to Connecticut.

<sniped - read more>
 
Oh, I'm not saying that there are no serial murderers. But anecdotal evidence of the sort you have presented is misleading. According to the FBI, "...serial murder cases attract an over-abundance of attention from the media, mental health experts, academia, and the general public." This supports what I'm saying. Moreover: "Serial murder is a relatively rare event, estimated to comprise less than one percent of all murders committed in any given year. However, there is a macabre interest in the topic that far exceeds its scope and has generated countless articles, books, and movies." (boldface mine) This 'macabre interest' is what leads people to forward theories like 'the serial killer of women with blonde hair' that has been discussed in this thread, when even a cursory examination of the evidence and consideration of how some of these cases have been solved (or have pretty clear suspects who are not serial killers) shows that the theory is baseless.

So, I'm going to side with the FBI on this one.

http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder
 
Montjoy said:
Oh, I'm not saying that there are no serial murderers. But anecdotal evidence of the sort you have presented is misleading. According to the FBI, "...serial murder cases attract an over-abundance of attention from the media, mental health experts, academia, and the general public." This supports what I'm saying. Moreover: "Serial murder is a relatively rare event, estimated to comprise less than one percent of all murders committed in any given year. However, there is a macabre interest in the topic that far exceeds its scope and has generated countless articles, books, and movies." (boldface mine) This 'macabre interest' is what leads people to forward theories like 'the serial killer of women with blonde hair' that has been discussed in this thread, when even a cursory examination of the evidence and consideration of how some of these cases have been solved (or have pretty clear suspects who are not serial killers) shows that the theory is baseless.

So, I'm going to side with the FBI on this one.

http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder
Click to expand...

In September 2005, the FBI lowered the number of homicide victims from 3 to only 2 to qualify an offender as a serial killer. Due to the extremely high rate of homicides, how many serial killers would you estimate that there are in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, Memphis, Baltimore, Atlanta, etc..? How could the FBI statistics be accurate, when very few of these homicide cases are solved?

http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder
Behavioral Analysis Unit-2
National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime
Critical Incident Response Group
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Serial Murder

The different discussion groups at the 2005 Serial Murder Symposium agreed on a number of similar factors to be included in a definition. These included:

&#8226; one or more offenders
&#8226; two or more murdered victims
&#8226; incidents should be occurring in separate events, at different times
&#8226; the time period between murders separates serial murder from mass murder

In combining the various ideas put forth at the Symposium, the following definition was crafted:

Serial Murder: The unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events.

<sniped & BBM>
 
I just hope the pressure stays on. I really wish Karen's friends and family would keep her in name in the media all year! I don't know if they have anything of value from the crime scene or not, but people always do something stupid. The fact that Karen's home was the last place she was known to be, and maybe there was no blood, makes this hard. There has also been very little released, so we really have no clue on COD. I personally don't see a serial killer or a cult or a total stranger here. MOO
 
It's the anniversary of Karen Swift's bizarre disappearance after going home to an acrimonious divorce environment on Halloween night. She crawled into bed with her daughters, so there's no doubt that she came home that night. The defence would have people believe that, after coming home and crawling into bed, she got up again to party, didn't get dressed, drove her car to the intersection, and was murdered ... and then her body was moved to the cemetery road vines ... what's it called again ... kudzu?

... the vine that kills everything ... is it kudzu? Anyway, her body was found in the opposite direction of her car, and her phone travelled farther than both the car and the body ... in the kudzu near the cemetery no where near her car or her phone.

Karen was found in the undergrowth of a vine that originated in Japan, introduced to the US in 1967 and which consumes native vegetation.

After the Halloween party, Karen went home to bed. Her children have verified that she came to bed, but she moved them from one bed to another in the middle of the night. Karen's pyjamas were found folded and left in the forest near the family home.

The question is: did her husband accost her in the middle of the night, murder her, drive her body to the cemetery, toss her phone in the farther away nearby river, park her car at the intersection five minutes from the house, and pretend that he didn't know anything about her disappearance.

I hope that there is a prosecution for this murder soon. Karen was in the process of moving out of the marital home, into her own tiny apartment that was a huge stepdown from the digs she enjoyed during the marriage. Yet, she was okay with stepping down, cleaning houses, and teaching yoga for a living. Her children were on board with her decision to change her life.

And then ... she was murdered.
 
sophiebelle said:
I just hope the pressure stays on. I really wish Karen's friends and family would keep her in name in the media all year! I don't know if they have anything of value from the crime scene or not, but people always do something stupid. The fact that Karen's home was the last place she was known to be, and maybe there was no blood, makes this hard. There has also been very little released, so we really have no clue on COD. I personally don't see a serial killer or a cult or a total stranger here. MOO
Click to expand...

The fact that Karen was in an acrimonious divorce, she went to the matrimonial home, she moved the children during the night, and ... her car was found near the driveway, the body was found in the cemetery, and the phone was found in the river kind of focuses the investigation on the husband. That is, if Karen was abducted by a trucker, he might throw her phone in the river, but he sure isn't going to drive back towards her property to leave her body in the cemetery and her car near the driveway. The circumstances only seem to add up with the husband responsible for Karen's murder.

It seems that there was no blood at the scene. Brad Cooper murdered his wife in NC and didn't leave any blood. Brad's wife was close to home, as was Karen.
 
otto said:
The fact that Karen was in an acrimonious divorce, she went to the matrimonial home, she moved the children during the night, and ... her car was found near the driveway, the body was found in the cemetery, and the phone was found in the river kind of focuses the investigation on the husband. That is, if Karen was abducted by a trucker, he might throw her phone in the river, but he sure isn't going to drive back towards her property to leave her body in the cemetery and her car near the driveway. The circumstances only seem to add up with the husband responsible for Karen's murder.

It seems that there was no blood at the scene. Brad Cooper murdered his wife in NC and didn't leave any blood. Brad's wife was close to home, as was Karen.
Click to expand...

I have said here before that she could have been stangled or there could have been a fight in the yard. But in the article the husband would willingly talk to LE with Steve Farese in tow. That would be a useless interview if anyone has seen Farese in action. Nothing much would be answered and LE knows it. If he and this attorney have found valuable info and didn't say what, I think it's a shame.
 
otto said:
The fact that Karen was in an acrimonious divorce, she went to the matrimonial home, she moved the children during the night, and ... her car was found near the driveway, the body was found in the cemetery, and the phone was found in the river kind of focuses the investigation on the husband. That is, if Karen was abducted by a trucker, he might throw her phone in the river, but he sure isn't going to drive back towards her property to leave her body in the cemetery and her car near the driveway. The circumstances only seem to add up with the husband responsible for Karen's murder.

It seems that there was no blood at the scene. Brad Cooper murdered his wife in NC and didn't leave any blood. Brad's wife was close to home, as was Karen.
Click to expand...

Otto, imo, there is much more to Karen Swift's murder than meets the eye.. This case has been analogous to a never ending roller coaster ride for those of us that have been sleuthing her case from early November 2011. Or as someone posted many, many threads back; "KS's case has all the makings of a fictional 'Southern Gothic Horror Movie'...except, rather than fiction, it is a very dark and tragic reality..

'A backwards walk in time' -->

Karen Swift; who vanished after a Halloween party during the early morning hours on 10/31/2011..

Her remains were discovered December 10/2011, near the secluded Historic Bledsoe Cemetery<1840s>. The cemetery has 3 large iron crosses that can be seen for miles. During the day, the Light radiating from the religious crosses symbolize the resurrection. KS's remains were located in a thick patch of Kudzu overlooked by these symbolic crosses. Her hand and arm were made visible due to the recent frosts, which resulted in the sudden loss of leaf cover. The revelation of her remains was made by an aware citizen who had accompanied the Bledsoe cemetery caretaker while investigating recent vandalized headstones..

12-11-2011, 01:15 AM #365 otto --> http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...Karen-Swift-44-Dyersburg-30-Oct-2011-2/page15

I know it was potent but never would have imagined what this day would bring.
I photographed it
Click to expand...

Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse December 10/2011
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t189/zed0101/eclipse_0071.jpg

KS's murder has all the makings of a Southern Gothic Horror movie, yet was a tragedy for her, her family, & the entire Dyer County, and TN community.

_____________________

The promise of an arrest by Dyer Co Tn Sheriff Jeff Box was made over 2 years ago..
Bumping this article one-year anniversary of remains located & Sheriff Box video of LEAs search for Karen Swift(lower right)..

http://www.stategazette.com/story/1921468.html

Swift case may go before special called grand jury --> December 11, 2012

Sheriff Box says no indictment will be announced until suspect in custody
(Photo)
Swift Monday marked the one-year anniversary
_________________________________

<FYI> Dyersburg State Gazette Karen Swift Timeline/Articles
http://www.stategazette.com/topic/karenswift/
 
I'm not sure what could be concluded from this, but in the interview of KS's Mother, she stated that the tire on KS's car when found was almost off the rim<at 1 :30 in to the video>. This would indicate that her car was likely driven for a considerable distance after the tire went flat, imo. --> http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/clip/...other-talks-about-disappearance-investigation
______________
http://www.wkrn.com/story/15936876/tenn-mother-missing-after-car-found-with-flat-tire
Authorities in West Tennessee are searching by helicopter and on the ground for a missing mother of four after her vehicle was found abandoned with a flat tire.
 
The following article indicates that KS may have decided to finish up her cleaning job early at the Trimble 'Habitat for Humanity' house to get paid. Enroute home, she was likely followed by a slight acquaintance/stranger who took advantage of her disabled vehicle/predicament.. jmo

The numb3rs do not equate for the Karen Swift murder to be a domestic homicide, imo.. There are to many indicators that say otherwise..JMO

KS's likely route from Trimble Rd. Newburn, TN --> https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tri...5a959c1895!2m2!1d-89.3919935!2d36.1320846!3e0

RSOs on KS's likely route--> http://www.city-data.com/so/so-Newbern-Tennessee.html

______________________

The two friends were working out on Tuesday, Oct. 25, when Swift said she was looking for some cleaning jobs. It just so happened that Mary Claire Hopper had a Habitat for Humanity house on Walnut Street in Trimble that was in bad need of a cleaning.
http://www.stategazette.com/story/1792485.html 12/08/2011
<sniped & BBM for Focus>

Hopper says this is when the two began to exchange text messages about Swift's new job as an aerobics instructor and the cleaning job.

* Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011

Swift - "OMG! I am loving Silver Sneakers."

Hopper - "Aren't they sweet?"

Swift - "Love them!"

Swift - "Did you go by the house?"

Hopper - "Yes it already looks better."

* Friday, Oct. 28

Swift - "OK I am about to set (bug)bombs off & lock up, been here since 7:30! I will have to come back. Got bathrooms to do. Mop also stove and fridge. Is Wednesday soon enough? I can tomorrow if you need me to. I work Monday and have a landscape job Tuesday."

* Saturday, Oct. 29, 2 p.m.

Hopper - "Don't worry about the fridge and stove. Getting new ones. Wednesday is fine. Great thanks! I will pay you as soon as possible."

Swift - "Hey, if I don't have to do fridge & stove. I will finish it early in the morning."

The last text Swift sent Hopper was referring to cleaning the house on Sunday morning (Oct. 30), the day she was reported missing.

Hopper found out Swift was missing after Swift's best friend, Cathy Bona, texted her and said they were looking for her.

"I thought she was probably at the Trimble house," said Hopper.

After a short time had passed, Bona called Hopper and said they had found her car with a flat tire and Swift was missing.

"The worst just started going through my mind," said Hopper.

Hopper had not paid Swift for cleaning the house, but said she was going to make at least $250 - $300 and possibly more because it was a lot of work she did.
 
This is so aggravating. Getting a suspect, making the evidence fit?? And being meth-related? C'mon really.....talk about twisting the obvious to be something it is not? Trying to convince us this is not what it is? The evidence points to one person, the last person who saw her, knew her intimately and had means, motive and opportunity to kill her. I'm certain LE has evidence that also points to the last person, in her home, that saw her and reported seeing her. We do not know what that is, but I'm certain it exists. I'm sure they are probably lacking blood evidence and a murder weapon. I do believe this crime was premeditated and that is why there isn't damning evidence. Seriously, is that all the other side has? It's meth-related? What makes someone say that....when there is nothing to base it on. Because Holly's murderers killed her and that was part of the motive?? Get Real!
 
I think Everything points to this being a domestic homicide. Then again, I'm not getting paid for my opinion.

All just my opinion!
 
Everybody knows the husband did it. This case will be solved when Sheriff Box is gone.

This is just law enforcement incompetence at it's worst.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

DNASolves

Who is DeKalb County John Doe (2022)?

Members online

... and 140 more.
Total: 3,010 (members: 141, guests: 2,869)

Online statistics

Members online
141
Guests online
2,869
Total visitors
3,010
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
604,377
Messages
18,171,190
Members
232,457
Latest member
klaborde2576
Back
Top