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

According to the sheriff's department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been called in to assist the Dyer County Sheriff's Department in the search for 44-year-old Karen Johnson Swift.
Deputies used a bloodhound team from Fort Pillow in the area where the car was found, with no significant results. The TBI transported her car to their forensic processing crime lab in Nashville for further testing.
Sheriff Deputies say they've searched areas of interest with the TBI helicopter and a heat sensing camera early Tuesday morning. So far no signs of Swift have been found.
Swift was last seen at her home in Dyersburg on Willie Johnson Rd. around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. Police say her car, a white 2004 Nissan Murano, was found a few hours later on Millsfield Highway near Harness Rd. with a flat tire in Northern Dyer County.
Swift is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 138 pounds and has blonde hair and green eyes.
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.
http://www.kait8.com/story/15924675/police-continue-to-search-for-missing-tn-mother


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

If you have had contact Karen Swift, recall seeing anyone near her vehicle since her disappearance or have information regarding her whereabouts please contact the Dyer County Sheriff's Office at 731-285-2802.

Please continue here...

Well here we are again....No information that I am aware of around here. Just so sad for this family.

How can they say no foul play at his time. I don't understand. Why would she leave home, leave her car on the side of the road and not contact her children.

Karen attended a Halloween Party, the night of 10/30/11, her two girls were at a sleep-over at a friend's house. The Halloween party was rather boring and Karen was not having a very good time. She called her friend to check in and give her a report of how the party was going. At around 1:00 Karen had decided to call it a night, when she got a call from her youngest daughter asking to be picked up from the sleep-over. "What's the matter, honey? Too much Halloween candy?" "Yeah, maybe. I just want to come home." Maybe it was her first sleep-over and she was homesick.

Karen prepared to leave the party and headed for the door, saying her 'good-byes'. As she walked toward the car, she took off her costume: headband with felt cat ears, cat whiskers and a black tail velcroed into the back of her waistband. She opened the car door and threw the items into the backseat. They landed next to the pair of pants and zip-up sweatshirt that she kept in the car for when she wanted to work-out, or to wear to the class she taught on Monday nights.

Karen picked up the girls and they drove home, talking about the sleepover. Everybody was feeling better. When they got home, Karen gave daughter a spoon of Pepto and told her to get her jammies on. Karen changed into her pajamas, too. While she was taking daughter up to her room, she met husband on the stairs and explained why the girls were home early. Daughter asked mom if she could sleep with her. Mom said, "OK".. Shortly thereafter, the bedroom door opened and husb. said he wanted to talk, Karen tried to put him off - it's late/ I'm tired/sick child, etc. He persisted. "Let me put daughter in her own bed first". She put daughter in bed with her older sister who was already asleep. Karen tucked both girls into bed, kissed them both, one last time, and closed the door. As she turned and walked toward the landing, husband lunged at her and wrapped something around her neck - a bungee cord or canvas strap-like tie-down. Karen grabbed at her throat and tried to cry-out but could not. She dropped to the ground.

(I had thought that they had a violent, physical confrontation and Karen tried to call her friend, leaving the text, "Call me", but it does not fit the timeline. I believe that Karen sent a text, earlier in the evening, possibly from the Halloween party).

Karen's body was quickly removed from the home - to where, I do not know. I believe she was dragged or carried. He had everything planned in advance. He sees it as the perfect cover-up. The body is well hidden.

The husband took his deer rifle and got into Karen's car, drove it a short distance, got out and started to walk back home. He turned, and using his deer rifle, shot out one of the tires. Back home, he made sure that the body was well hidden according to his fantasy plan. It took him a while and he was exhausted. Around 6:00 a.m. while he was lying down, resting and contemplating his next move, his youngest opened the door and asked, 'where's mommy?'. I am not sure where this becomes critical for the family. She could be at church, out for a run, gone into town for a newspaper, any number of things. I do not believe that she ever left the house, alive, after bringing her daughters home.

The son reported that his father called him and seemed rather distraught and confused. The father hung up, called the son back immediately and said, 'your mother is missing' - or words to that effect. I would be interested to know where that call falls in the timeline. How close to 6:00 a.m. was that call made. And why was the husband so sure, at that time, that Karen was missing, and was not out running an errand?

I believe that the dogs were not able to pick up Karen's scent around or leaving her car, because she was never there that night. I do believe they should be checking for the husband's scent heading from Karen's car, back toward the house. I believe Karen will be found. I pray to God she is.

This is speculation and my personal opinion of what I think may have happened to Karen Swift.

I thought the same thing. If they were getting a divorce she wouldn't tell him her every move, she would tell the children. I would think they would call her friends first before telling her son she's missing. Somethings not right.

My heart goes out to all these families that have missing loved ones. And Thanksgiving is here. Prayers to all families.

:welcome:

Welcome, LindaG! And what a detailed theory - thanks for sharing. I think something like that happened as well, although I have not laid out such a detailed scenario.

I also wish that they had checked to see if the dogs picked up the husband's scent around the vehicle. Would be interesting if the trail let right back to the house.

Again, thanks for joining us...

LindaG I believe your theory could be scarily, eerily, extremely close to what might have occurred that night.. I, too believe that leading days up to that Saturday night(the 2 weeks approx since he'd received the divorce papers) that he had concluded in his mind that Karen had to die.. He could not let her go.. I think there was very good reason why Karen and the girls took the mini vacation to make sure they were gone when he was served with the divorce papers.. And not because she feared him, but because she knew he would relentlessly beg and plead to not do this, nit divorce him that they could make it work.. I think this was the issue, not abuse that she feared.. But the unrelenting guilting and begging her that always ended with her giving in.. IMO this had been years of this back and forth and likely was partially how they ended up back together and remarried.. I believe this man loved her to death but in a very selfish way obviously.. I do not believe there will be found any history of domestic violence... I don't believe there was any..

I believe that after being served the divorce papers that David initially believed he could talk her out of it just as he always had.. I believe that when Karen and the girls came home that Karen has made a point to not allow there to be alone time with David for him to be able to attempt talking her out of it as hed done is the past.. I believe that Karen had really been spending more time with the kids and with girlfriends and even going out. I Think she believed this would be the best way to show David she was really moving forward.. I mean from all Accts of friends and family she was excited about moving forward in her life.. I think for Karen the marriage had died long ago(and I don't know the reasons).. I think the more that Karen pushed forward and was drawing away from David and making a point to show him that it really was over this time.. I think this in Davids mind gave him no choice but to have to kill her thus I feel he was planning for when that opportunity would be.. I think he knew it was going to be that night from whenever it was decided the girls wanted to go to the slumber party.. And I think we may even see that at some point that night he called Karens phone while she was at that party, thinking damn it! When's she gonna be home?? Maybe that's what she was calling her friend for at 11:40 saying Gosh! Davids calling wanting to know when I'm coming home!! And I don't want to have to go home to talk to him.. Dreading especially knowing the girls weren't home so she had no excuse to put the talk off for later.. Therefor likely that mom was thrilled when her daughter called wanting to come home from the party, that way she had a reason to once again not have to talk to David when she knew it was going to be the same guilting her into staying together..

I think that David decided he was going thru with the plan regardless and I believe he'd likely thought it thru enough to know how to make it extremely minimal if in any way traceable whatsoever.. I believe that LindaG is likely very close to what have occurred that night..

Now it's just waiting for the professionals to do their job of taking each tiny piece and putting it together to finally have the puzzle complete of what exactly happened those early morning hours to Karen.. Sad.. Sad.. Sad..

I am probably wrong but I don't believe anyone has said that both girls were gone that night....only the one.

I think you're correct Nana that only the one daughter was at the slumber party.. Sadly I still believe something similar to what LindaG theorized is possible!!

I too have begun to think that being served with divorce papers while he was all alone in that house, with several days on his own, led him to face a future like that and decide he wasn't okay with that.

Just asked my hunter hubby to be sure but on youth hunt weekend, a hunter would have to have a 12 y/o or younger with them. Only the youth is allowed to hunt on this weekend. A hunter caught without a youth hunter on this weekend would get a ticket at best or arrested. So it seems highly unlikely that a hunter abducted her as his child would be with him also.

Thanks for the welcome and the kind words. I am so glad to be here. Nana and SO, I had heard two versions - one that one daughter went to the sleep-over and one that both went, but the younger one felt sick. I did have to take liberties and fill in details as to what I thought might have happenbed. The alternative would be for the one sister to be home alone with dad and I didn't think that was an option for Karen. I really feel that she will be found soon. Bitter and sweet, bitter and sweet.

Otto, your post #583 in the last thread has some great pics. I think you are on to something.

imamaze said:

According to the sheriff's department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been called in to assist the Dyer County Sheriff's Department in the search for 44-year-old Karen Johnson Swift.
Deputies used a bloodhound team from Fort Pillow in the area where the car was found, with no significant results. The TBI transported her car to their forensic processing crime lab in Nashville for further testing.
Sheriff Deputies say they've searched areas of interest with the TBI helicopter and a heat sensing camera early Tuesday morning. So far no signs of Swift have been found.
Swift was last seen at her home in Dyersburg on Willie Johnson Rd. around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. Police say her car, a white 2004 Nissan Murano, was found a few hours later on Millsfield Highway near Harness Rd. with a flat tire in Northern Dyer County.
Swift is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 138 pounds and has blonde hair and green eyes.
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.
http://www.kait8.com/story/15924675/police-continue-to-search-for-missing-tn-mother

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

If you have had contact Karen Swift, recall seeing anyone near her vehicle since her disappearance or have information regarding her whereabouts please contact the Dyer County Sheriff's Office at 731-285-2802.

Please continue here...

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Bolded by me (referring to Karen's height)~~~~

I wonder if the car seat had been adjusted to accommodate someone other than Karen. It is reported that she is 5'5" tall. From the family photo that we saw earlier, it appears that her husband is quite a bit taller than she is.

If he moved the car rather than Karen moving it, it stands to reason that he would have had to adjust the seat. Of course, speculation in that vein would have to also include the possibility that if the seat had been adjusted to accommodate someone taller than Karen, then that person may have remembered to re-adjust the seat to what would be normal for Karen.

In other words, just because the seat may have been at a position normal for Karen does not mean that someone else didn't drive the car to where it was found.

I know this all sounds like I am rambling, but I know that my fellow sleuths here will "get" what I am trying to convey.

cleo612 said:

Bolded by me (referring to Karen's height)~~~~

I wonder if the car seat had been adjusted to accommodate someone other than Karen. It is reported that she is 5'5" tall. From the family photo that we saw earlier, it appears that her husband is quite a bit taller than she is.

If he moved the car rather than Karen moving it, it stands to reason that he would have had to adjust the seat. Of course, speculation in that vein would have to also include the possibility that if the seat had been adjusted to accommodate someone taller than Karen, then that person may have remembered to re-adjust the seat to what would be normal for Karen.

In other words, just because the seat may have been at a position normal for Karen does not mean that someone else didn't drive the car to where it was found.

I know this all sounds like I am rambling, but I know that my fellow sleuths here will "get" what I am trying to convey.

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Brilliant!!!!!!!! Just brilliant girl!!
I am still on the fence (as per usual for me on WS)lol.
I still think she drove the car. But you sure are making a good point!!!!

MagnoliaMom said:

Otto, your post #583 in the last thread has some great pics. I think you are on to something.

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Thx. I'm not sure what to think, but one possibility that comes to mind is that her husband planned her murder from the day of the divorce papers. He would have thought everything through very carefully. Points he would have carefully considered are how and where. How would have to be a soft kill to eliminate the home as a crime scene. Where is the bigger question, but I think it's possible that he dug something on the land behind the house. I do think they had ATVs, but I haven't read that anywhere. It's just that having two sons and a trail leading away from the house, it seems like something they would have. The large shed towards the back of the property seem like overkill for a tractor/lawnmower.

However, that goes against the location of the phone. The location of the phone seems like it could have been staged to again draw attention away from the home. The car being parked nearby was deliberate for two reasons - her disappearance is placed away from the home, but close enough to walk home from the car (for the husband).

The sad thing is that the longer she is missing, the less chance there is of determining cause of death when she is found - meaning it's easier for the murderer to get away with it.

otto said:

Thx. I'm not sure what to think, but one possibility that comes to mind is that her husband planned her murder from the day of the divorce papers. He would have thought everything through very carefully. Points he would have carefully considered are how and where. How would have to be a soft kill to eliminate the home as a crime scene. Where is the bigger question, but I think it's possible that he dug something on the land behind the house. I do think they had ATVs, but I haven't read that anywhere. It's just that having two sons and a trail leading away from the house, it seems like something they would have. The large shed towards the back of the property seem like overkill for a tractor/lawnmower.

However, that goes against the location of the phone. The location of the phone seems like it could have been staged to again draw attention away from the home. The car being parked nearby was deliberate for two reasons - her disappearance is placed away from the home, but close enough to walk home from the car (for the husband).

The sad thing is that the longer she is missing, the less chance there is of determining cause of death when she is found - meaning it's easier for the murderer to get away with it.

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bbm

I haven't read it anywhere either but there is a photo of a side by side with a box in front of the Swift home posted at BOC - I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to post the link (being a crime blog) but it's easily found.

I am sorry for going the long way around my burning question:

Was Mr. Swift familiar with the Holly Bobo story prior to Karen's disappearance???

:waitasec:

Lovespasta said:

How can they say no foul play at his time. I don't understand. Why would she leave home, leave her car on the side of the road and not contact her children.

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Strange, huh.... I would think that an abandoned car and clothes discarded in a field close by and no sign of this person would indicate that there was some kind of foul play, but what do I know? Maybe just poor wording, but I really doubt that LE does NOT suspect foul play.

My brother in law is an avid deer hunter and he goes to great lengths to eliminate his own scent so that the deer are not aware of his presence. He uses a special soap to wash his clothing and something similar to treat his boots. He applies doe urine to some of his gear. If David is a deer hunter, and I expect that he is, this kind of behavior would not draw attention, would be easy for him to accomplish and he would have the materials on hand or could have purchased them earlier without suspicion. David could have performed this ritual sometime before dropping off Karen's car, in order to throw the dogs off of his scent. (hey, it works for the deer). I don't think Karen left the house after 1:30 a.m., after putting on her pajamas. What would have been important enough to leave her two little girls alone with her STBX - nothing. A stranger would not hide the body and remove the car to another location. I agree with those above who say David may have used an ATV. I think this was an outdoorsy family and had lots of outdoor skills and equipment. He certainly had enough time to prepare, with Karen at a party and the girls at a sleep-over. He could have pre-dug a hole in the woods.

I think checking the seat adjustment is brilliant. However, I am 5"2", and I always push my seat all the way back when exiting my car. Not sure if this is common for other short people, or not.

Another reason I think that both sisters attended the sleep-over is that I think Karen would want them to be together. If the 9 year old was home alone with dad and the six year old was off by herself at a sleep-over, Karen may have been too stressed out to stay late at a party.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody.