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

TBI, Dyer Co. sheriff search former home of unsolved murder victim Karen Swift

The investigation of the 2011 murder of a Dyersburg woman continues as TBI agents were asked to assist Dyer County Sheriff’s Department in a search at the victim’s former home Tuesday.

Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box tells Action News 5 an investigation is ongoing at 65 Willie Johnson Road, the former home of Karen Swift who was reported missing on Halloween in 2011 just weeks after filing for divorce. Swift reportedly went to a party in Dyersburg the night of October 30, investigators found her car near her home with a shredded tire, but Karen and her purse were gone.

Swift’s body was found a few months later near a cemetery. Autopsy report provided notes Swift died from a “blunt force injury of the head”.

Over 10 years have passed and the case is still unsolved. Sheriff Box said in a 2019 interview that his office has never stopped working on the case and stood by their investigation.

The TBI says they are assisting Dyer Co officials but no details about the assist was provided.

An Action News 5 viewer captured photos Tuesday of what appears to be digging equipment. Sheriff Box tells us he cannot comment on the investigation.

In 2019, the District Attorney’s office was reviewing the investigative case file of Karen Swift.

We’ve reached out to District Attorney Danny Goodman’s office to get more information about the investigation.
 
I think about Karen often. Why didn't her case get solved??? They had a lucky break when they found her as quickly as they did. I honestly believe her case should have been solved before now. :(

Karen deserves justice!
 
I think about Karen often. Why didn't her case get solved??? They had a lucky break when they found her as quickly as they did. I honestly believe her case should have been solved before now. :(

Karen deserves justice!

Agreed! There have been way too many crickets in this case.
 
TBI, Dyer Co. sheriff search former home of unsolved murder victim Karen Swift

The investigation of the 2011 murder of a Dyersburg woman continues as TBI agents were asked to assist Dyer County Sheriff’s Department in a search at the victim’s former home Tuesday.

Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box tells Action News 5 an investigation is ongoing at 65 Willie Johnson Road, the former home of Karen Swift who was reported missing on Halloween in 2011 just weeks after filing for divorce. Swift reportedly went to a party in Dyersburg the night of October 30, investigators found her car near her home with a shredded tire, but Karen and her purse were gone.

Swift’s body was found a few months later near a cemetery. Autopsy report provided notes Swift died from a “blunt force injury of the head”.

Over 10 years have passed and the case is still unsolved. Sheriff Box said in a 2019 interview that his office has never stopped working on the case and stood by their investigation.

The TBI says they are assisting Dyer Co officials but no details about the assist was provided.

An Action News 5 viewer captured photos Tuesday of what appears to be digging equipment. Sheriff Box tells us he cannot comment on the investigation.

In 2019, the District Attorney’s office was reviewing the investigative case file of Karen Swift.

We’ve reached out to District Attorney Danny Goodman’s office to get more information about the investigation.
I wonder what led to this. Karen's husband moved out a few years ago and another family might have moved in. I don't remember all the facts, but I believe the husband initially let LE into the house. Unless LE finds blood stains somewhere on the floor, wall, ceiling or fixtures and they can match the DNA to Karen I don't know what they can get out of it now. All of the furniture is out of the house and with the husband or disposed of long ago.
 
I wonder what led to this. Karen's husband moved out a few years ago and another family might have moved in. I don't remember all the facts, but I believe the husband initially let LE into the house. Unless LE finds blood stains somewhere on the floor, wall, ceiling or fixtures and they can match the DNA to Karen I don't know what they can get out of it now. All of the furniture is out of the house and with the husband or disposed of long ago.

It says they have digging equipment so they're looking for something outside. I wonder if they got a tip??
 
Interesting development, I hope something comes of it.

IIRC, the police were pretty sympathetic towards her husband/ex from the beginning. This looks like they're taking a different view.

Baffling, they should have been able to determine who her killer was before now. JMO
 
TBI, Dyer Co. sheriff search former home of unsolved murder victim Karen Swift

Weird that they are searching Karen's home again this many years later. Does this mean they suspect the husband again?


Case file has been in review since OCT 2019, Must be the reason for the home's search. Something was initially overlooked, eleven long years ago, perhaps.

Karen's brutal death: Blunt Force Trauma and left in a cemetery

District attorney reviewing investigative case file in 2011 death of Dyersburg mother Karen Swift
 
Reports in the Dyersburg State Gazette that Karen’s husband has been arrested and charged with murder in this case. For some reason, I can’t get the link to work from my phone. Also reported on fb under Tennessee River Valley News
 
Interesting development, I hope something comes of it.

IIRC, the police were pretty sympathetic towards her husband/ex from the beginning. This looks like they're taking a different view.

Baffling, they should have been able to determine who her killer was before now. JMO

Betty, didn't he move away? Do you know if he did, then where did he go?

I'm surprised by his arrest but there was always something odd about his walk in those woods by their home that night.
 
Karen Swift was allegedly last seen alive by her husband, David Swift, after she came home from a Halloween party. She was reported missing on Oct. 30, 2011, and her body was later found on Dec. 10, 2011.

The Dyer County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation was concluded in 2019, and the case handed over to District Attorney General Danny Goodman’s office. They then went over every piece of evidence before presenting it to a grand jury, who returned an indictment on Monday.

“Today is a good day for law enforcement and I’m very pleased the grand jury returned an indictment against (David) Swift,” said Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box. “We have literally spent thousands of hours on this case and a lot of that time was spent dispelling false information and rumors. Our investigators never gave up and just kept going through the evidence and I want to sincerely thank them for their diligence in this case.”

David Swift, who since the death of Karen Swift had remarried and moved to Alabama, was also arrested on Monday. He is now awaiting extradition.

“I really do appreciate the patience of the citizens of Dyer County while we investigated this terrible crime,” said Box. “It took nearly 11 years but we can now go through the process of extraditing Swift back to Dyer County to face this charge at a trial.”

David Swift is charged with pre-meditated first-degree murder. If convicted, the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office says he faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Reportedly after leaving his new divorce attorneys office, former Dyer County resident David Swift was stopped by Jefferson County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office patrol car before his arrest on Monday afternoon. Swift was indicted on Monday by the Dyer County Grand Jury on a charge of pre-mediated first-degree murder in the death of his ex-wife, Karen Swift, in 2011.
*eta:
 
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Karen Swift was allegedly last seen alive by her husband, David Swift, after she came home from a Halloween party. She was reported missing on Oct. 30, 2011, and her body was later found on Dec. 10, 2011.

The Dyer County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation was concluded in 2019, and the case handed over to District Attorney General Danny Goodman’s office. They then went over every piece of evidence before presenting it to a grand jury, who returned an indictment on Monday.

“Today is a good day for law enforcement and I’m very pleased the grand jury returned an indictment against (David) Swift,” said Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box. “We have literally spent thousands of hours on this case and a lot of that time was spent dispelling false information and rumors. Our investigators never gave up and just kept going through the evidence and I want to sincerely thank them for their diligence in this case.”

David Swift, who since the death of Karen Swift had remarried and moved to Alabama, was also arrested on Monday. He is now awaiting extradition.

“I really do appreciate the patience of the citizens of Dyer County while we investigated this terrible crime,” said Box. “It took nearly 11 years but we can now go through the process of extraditing Swift back to Dyer County to face this charge at a trial.”

David Swift is charged with pre-meditated first-degree murder. If convicted, the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office says he faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Reportedly after leaving his new divorce attorneys office, former Dyer County resident David Swift was stopped by Jefferson County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office patrol car before his arrest on Monday afternoon. Swift was indicted on Monday by the Dyer County Grand Jury on a charge of pre-mediated first-degree murder in the death of his ex-wife, Karen Swift, in 2011.

Yikes! The DA took 3 years to decide to turn the case over to a Grand Jury. That seems a bit excessive, JMO.

It's great, though, that they're on the way to getting justice for Karen and her family.
 
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