David Swift Mugshot
Shannon Taylor, Editor
A decade old murder case is being tried in Weakley County where David Swift, a Dyer County resident, was indicted in the murder of his wife, Karen Swift.
Karen Swift filed for divorce in October of 2011, and disappeared shortly after filing.
It took nearly two months to find the mother of four who was found dead by local hunters on December 10, 2011, at an abandoned cemetery.
It then took a decade for Swift to be indicted on Murder in the First Degree. Swift was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was living with his new wife, and now he stands trial in Weakley County due to a change of venue because the case was drawing too much attention in Dyer County.
Judge Mark Hayes granted a change of venue request for the trial, which was originally scheduled for January in Dyer County.
During opening statements On Tuesday, May 28, prosecutors for the state said that Swift was the only person with motive.
"Who had the means to kill, which was by stomping her. And who had the opportunity, because he was the last person to see Karen Swift, and the only person who had the opportunity to do so," prosecutors asserted during opening statements.
However, defense attorneys claim there is a lack of evidence and that David knew nothing until he found out his wife was missing.
Witnesses then took to the stand, with the first witness being Dyer County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Alexander.
Alexander was the first deputy to respond when Karen went missing and her SUV was found a quarter mile from her residence with a flattened tire.
Alexander testified that there was no evidence of a struggle in the vehicle, no obvious blood stains or any other evidence inside the vehicle.
Heath Walker, a former Dyer County Sheriff’s Deputy, testified that David had cooperated with the Department by letting them do a walk through of his yard.
Walker also stated during the trial that David wouldn’t make eye contact when questioned by investigators.
Prosecutors on the case have no DNA evidence for the jury to see, fingerprints or even ballistics related to the case, instead the jury must rely on testimony to get an accurate picture of events.
State prosecutors called in a tire expert as a witness, Gary Bolden, who stated he was responsible for examining the tire.
Bolden testified that there were no manufacturing defects and observed a screw puncturing the tire casing which he stated had been driven on less than a mile.
The state claimed that Swift deflated the tire intentionally, inserted the screw and drove the SUV near Karen’s house to abandon the vehicle.
Because Bolden explained that the screw was inserted at a 90-degree angle, it would be unlikely to have come from road debris according to his expert testimony.
Mary McQuarters, Swift’s neighbor, testified that she was awakened October 30 to the sound of a vehicle driving on a flat tire going by.
Karen’s divorce attorney testified that he had last spoken to Karen the night before she went missing.
David’s knee injury was also brought up with his defense team asserting that his injury, and the use of crutches, would have prevented him from murder, even calling a physical therapist to testify on if David could physically lift 100 pounds.
While the therapist agreed that David could, it would be hard for him to move that amount of weight more than a few steps, requiring additional assistance of another person, according to the therapists testimony.
The defense called the Swift’s children to testify in the trial, Ashley and Dustin Swift. Ashley, only nine years old when her mother was first reported as missing, stood trial this week now 22 years old.
The prosecution had earlier stated that David had moved Ashley from where she had been sleeping with her mother before attacking and killing her in the home’s garage, however Ashley stated differently.
Ashley alleged that her mother moved her from the bed and that she never heard any fight between her mother and father that night, yelling, nor any other disturbances.
Dustin, age 31, testified nothing unusual as well after his mother’s disappearance, stating that there were no unusual smells or anything unusual about the garage.
David Swift did not testify in his defense.
Closing arguments in the case are expected to be heard Wednesday, June 5. The jury will then deliberate and, hopefully, reach a verdict.
If convicted, Swift could face life in prison with no possibility for parole. If found not guilty, Swift will walk free.
