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

[Backwoods]

BBM


It would take someone like the Incredible Hulk to be able to carry a dead body 450 yards up and down the hills and thought the woods to the river.

I think who ever murdered Karen drove to this spot and dumped her, they never intended to carry her to the river.


Beings an attempt was made to conceal her body I think it points more to someone who knew Karen. A random stranger would have likely just dumped her body out of the car without going through the trouble of trying to conceal her from view.

Someone didn't want her to be found so they placed her under those vines.

Now they just need to figure out who that was.

JMO

Also -- someone could have had her captive, taking her somewhere -- to the river perhaps -- and she escaped and ran for cover in the kudzu, but the killer caught up with her.

 

[SNOWINMEMPHIS]

Well gotta get dinner for my hunny, but will check in later.
Having patience that the killer is already in LE's sight and will soon be arrested, and that peace comes to her family and loved ones.

 

[JBinPHX]

All I know is that now, whenever I see or think of kudzu, I will wonder what secrets are buried beneath it. It's kind of eerie.

 

[panthera]

Agreed, and I don't think too many women would ignore the warning system, in the middle of the night, in a remote area.....

Exactly, and I believe the car's tires were fine when she drove home that night. I also believe that was the last time she ever had an opportunity to drive it.



MOO

 

[panthera]

While LE is being mysterious with their wording...this makes me wonder if her cause of death involved a large loss of blood and they are indeed finding that there is/was a large amount of blood in the location where she was found. (Yikes )

I believe it is possible she was subdued before being taken from the house to the location where she was eventually found, and killed. One article released shortly after her body had been found gave the impression there was some evidence on her remains of injury. Before the formal identification was made, it was my distinct impression that LE knew this wasn't someone who had died of natural causes.

MOO

 

[stillwatersc]

Could something have been placed in the road to destroy the tires (and removed afterwards)? This was a deserted road in the middle of the night. Motive of robbery. However if it worked, I would expect the same scheme would have been used again by now.

 

[Here4myfriend]

Sorry in advance that I have not read the recent posts today... It's a little hard right now. I do want to say that I KNOW the investigators have a person/persons they are looking at and gathering information to nail this monster. They said it might take a very long time, but they can not make one mistake. One mistake could lead to his lawyer making it inadmissible in court and he gets away with it. I have gut feelings in this, of course, but I am trusting in the LE. I know they are very concerned and working all evidence.

May Karen rest in peace and may her family and friends have closure.

 

[LindaG]

bbm

I think you're absolutely correct about carrying her body that far to the river. But I was thinking more that the perp headed towards the river, thinking they could get closer in the vehicle. Then once there, couldn't find easy access, didn't have time to keep looking, and found the spot to leave her. JMHO

I'm not familiar with kudzu, so I would like to know -
it was present when the body was placed (10/30), correct?
I assume it is difficult for a normal car to drive in it?
So whoever placed the body had to drive that far in an all-terrain vehicle, truck, or other 4-wheel drive vehicle?

Is it possible that they just drove as far as they were able, knowing that not many other vehicles would be able to make it out that far to search. Do cars often get stuck in kudzu. Like I said I don't know much about it.

Since Karen's car was a mid-size and the tire was slashed, the killer must have placed her in his vehicle and was able to navigate through kudzu. It probably had to be somebody very local to even know about conditions in the area where the body was placed.

I believe the killer took a lot of effort to stage the scene (Karen's car) and hide the body. The big question, for me, is how and where was this person able to subdue Karen. jmoo

 

[LindaG]

That's the only way I can see it also.
And if we exclude anyone from her home as her killer, that would just leave her meeting someone out there at Bledsoe or someone somehow following her or just the kind of "luck" that a serial killer/predator seems to have:maddening:
JMO

With all due respect-
I am trying to think of a situation where I would arise from bed in the early hours, leave my two little girls (one sick), dress and drive three miles to an area near the cemetary.

If Karen was meeting someone, or someone followed her with intent to kill her, I think her car would be there and she would have been in it - with her cell phone - and able to call 911. I can't see her getting out of her car at that time of night/morning, in that area, to confont somebody.

 

[lonetraveler]

I'm not familiar with kudzu, so I would like to know -
it was present when the body was placed (10/30), correct?
I assume it is difficult for a normal car to drive in it?
So whoever placed the body had to drive that far in an all-terrain vehicle, truck, or other 4-wheel drive vehicle?

Is it possible that they just drove as far as they were able, knowing that not many other vehicles would be able to make it out that far to search. Do cars often get stuck in kudzu. Like I said I don't know much about it.

Since Karen's car was a mid-size and the tire was slashed, the killer must have placed her in his vehicle and was able to navigate through kudzu. It probably had to be somebody very local to even know about conditions in the area where the body was placed.

I believe the killer took a lot of effort to stage the scene (Karen's car) and hide the body. The big question, for me, is how and where was this person able to subdue Karen. jmoo

Kudzu is a curse of the South. Thick vines that take over everything. You would need a machete to cut your way through it like hacking through jungle brush.
I'll try to link this photo representative of what her body was hidden under.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped.../320px-Kudzu_on_trees_in_Atlanta,_Georgia.jpg

 

[ThoughtFox]

Nothing can drive through kudzu except a bulldozer.

I'm trying to figure out why someone would have to drive to the exact spot anyway. Wasn't there possibly a road or driveway through the cemetary? Many of them have loop roads so a hearse and family members can pull in to the cemetary, and I know from looking around for my genealogy that Google Earth might not show a turn-in or driveway.

From a vehicle, the man could carry or possibly drag the body. If she was still alive at that point, he could even have walked her to that spot.

 

[ThoughtFox]

Here's a picture of the kudzu area from the State Gazette. You can see how bumpy the ground is, then imagine leaves sticking up from those vines on the ground about 3-4 feet and completely covering the trees behind and you'll understand what kudzu is like. Whoever dumped Karen there knew that no one would just walk through it and trip over her - there are too many critters, spiders, and snakes that could be hiding there.

Also no one would drive into it because there might be old junk or metal dumped there too.

http://www.stategazette.com/story/1793716/photo/1589931.html​

 

[dovebar]

I believe it is possible she was subdued before being taken from the house to the location where she was eventually found, and killed. One article released shortly after her body had been found gave the impression there was some evidence on her remains of injury. Before the formal identification was made, it was my distinct impression that LE knew this wasn't someone who had died of natural causes.

MOO

There seem to be multiple ways this could happen. Chloroform would be quick and likely not rouse a sleeping child. Karen could have been carried out of the house. A stun gun might also have worked. I too think it's likely that she was taken somewhere to be killed so that there would be no evidence of a crime at the house.

I think 6 a.m is early for most kids to wake up. I think the daughter heard something, like someone returning to the house.

 

[tarabull]

Here's a picture of the kudzu area from the State Gazette. You can see how bumpy the ground is, then imagine leaves sticking up from those vines on the ground about 3-4 feet and completely covering the trees behind and you'll understand what kudzu is like. Whoever dumped Karen there knew that no one would just walk through it and trip over her - there are too many critters, spiders, and snakes that could be hiding there.

Also no one would drive into it because there might be old junk or metal dumped there too.

http://www.stategazette.com/story/1793716/photo/1589931.html​

bbm

Meaning if someone drove into it they might slice a tire on old junk or metal dumped there??!?!?!?

:waitasec:

 

[tarabull]

With all due respect-
I am trying to think of a situation where I would arise from bed in the early hours, leave my two little girls (one sick), dress and drive three miles to an area near the cemetary.

If Karen was meeting someone, or someone followed her with intent to kill her, I think her car would be there and she would have been in it - with her cell phone - and able to call 911. I can't see her getting out of her car at that time of night/morning, in that area, to confont somebody.

bbm

What if her sick daughter had a fever and since the kids are generally healthy and don't come down with bugs often, the children's medicine in the house was old and expired!??!?!

:waitasec:

I'm not saying she would drive to the cemetery but it gets her out of the house in her vehicle...

 

[SNOWINMEMPHIS]

bbm

What if her sick daughter had a fever and since the kids are generally healthy and don't come down with bugs often, the children's medicine in the house was old and expired!??!?!

:waitasec:

I'm not saying she would drive to the cemetery but it gets her out of the house in her vehicle...

I was just checking in before bed and this is really good thinking! That's surely one reason a mother would leave the home at that time of night!
Hoping a new day brings actual news of an arrest!

 

[LindaG]

I think it's a pretty strong statement to say that she wasn't killed elsewhere. I wonder if there is evidence that they recovered there...?

I mean, there are ways that someone can be killed that don't leave blood (strangulation, etc). So I don't understand how LE can be certain that she wasn't killed somewhere else. :waitasec:

ETA: Okay, I re-read the statement and it says 'no indication' that she was killed somewhere else. Still very confusing. I mean, why even say that? Hmm.

One way to tell:
After death, the blood pools and coagulates at certain levels within the body. For example if a person falls dead, on their back, the blood pools and coagulates in the lowest spots in the back parts of the body. If someone moves the body to, say, lying face down. The blood would have settled differently. moo

 

[tarabull]

I think it's a pretty strong statement to say that she wasn't killed elsewhere. I wonder if there is evidence that they recovered there...?

I mean, there are ways that someone can be killed that don't leave blood (strangulation, etc). So I don't understand how LE can be certain that she wasn't killed somewhere else. :waitasec:

ETA: Okay, I re-read the statement and it says 'no indication' that she was killed somewhere else. Still very confusing. I mean, why even say that? Hmm.

bbm

Maybe they found a bullet??? Blood spatter???

Youth Sportsman Hunting Weekend...

:waitasec:

 

[otto]

The video in the below link states that police believe that Karen was placed in the location where she was found after she was murdered, but they still don't know how she was murdered.

http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-dyer-sheriff-swift,0,5848889.story

 

[LindaG]

The video in the below link states that police believe that Karen was placed in the location where she was found after she was murdered, but they still don't know how she was murdered.

http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-dyer-sheriff-swift,0,5848889.story

Thanks for the video - I wasn't able to listen to it. Did it contradict an earlier statement that she was not killed elsewhere?? I'm confused. :waitasec: