A hollow ending to a long-awaited trial

After spending eight days and over 70 hours inside the Weakley County Courthouse, I was relieved that the trial was finally over, but disappointed with the outcome. Our community and the families involved have waited over a decade for closure.

Over the years, I’ve heard countless rumors and conspiracies about what happened to Karen Swift. In the midst of it all, the truth is bound to be stranger than fiction.

Ultimately, I think many of us knew that closure would never be found, and justice would never truly be served. Too much time had passed and too much testimony had either been lost or its credibility could not hold up on the stand.

After sitting in on the proceedings each day, I have come to a few conclusions. First, David Swift wasn’t the only one standing trial in this case. I think for those who have been sitting in or watching, we all know that this trial puts to test numerous of Dyer County’s affluent community members, law enforcement officers, and even the TBI.

Witness statements and evidence presented in the case created as many questions as they answered. Since the beginning of the Karen Swift Trial, it felt as if testimonies were riddled with inconsistencies, timelines didn’t quite make sense, and distances reported between the abandoned car and the Swift home were… well…not quite accurate.

The one thing this trial irrefutably had in abundance was reasonable doubt.

I don’t know about you, but I felt the focus of the trial in those early days last week took the spotlight off the murder act and the victim, placing the attention on the more sexualized details of the case—specifically, the internet-made famous hot tub scenes.

And while I won’t delve into those details because I feel like we have all heard enough, the issue on trial was murder and not necessarily the morality of the parties affiliated with the victim however big or small a part that behavior may have played in her ultimate death.

It’s heartbreaking that a woman lost her life, and those four children lost their mother.

While I agree that the prosecution needed to establish the presence of controlling behavior that David Swift allegedly exerted over his wife, it’s unfortunate that the cost of that admission was the character and integrity of the victim.

However, in the face of murder, it’s only fair to let out all the facts—the good, bad, and ugly. But were all the facts laid out? I’m not convinced they were. So, was Karen Swift the party girl the defense made her out to be?

Was David Swift a man capable of murdering his wife in cold blood?

Was there even enough time for him to premeditate and execute this murder in the time allotted? Was there time for him to murder Karen without a plan?

Let’s look at this timeline provided by the court:

*2:08 a.m.: Karen comes home with Ashley

*3:45-4:30 a.m.: Internet activity on David’s laptop shows images were opened from an external device.

*Depending on whether you believe the expert witness of the Defense or of the State, the last cellular activity was recorded at 4:38 (State expert’s opinion) or 5:09 a.m. (Defense expert’s opinion).

*The first sighting of the abandoned vehicle was at 5:15 a.m.

This leaves a very small window for the murder, dumping of the body, staging of Karen’s vehicle and the tire, and the walk back from the vehicle to the residence, which has been inaccurately stated as 1/4-mile multiple times throughout the trial.

In a conversation with District Attorney Danny Goodman, I was told the distance was roughly .43 miles. This is closer to an 8–10-minute walk for a healthy person with no disability. The narrative provided by the State presumes David Swift was not simply exaggerating his injury but was surely faking the injury altogether to pull off this feat.

Another hurdle for me when considering the facts of the case was the opening arguments. In my opinion, the picture painted of Karen’s murder just didn’t fit the facts as they were delivered in the trial.

I don’t think the timeline was realistic, and I don’t feel the evidence adequately supported the theory of her murder occurring in the garage with David’s foot as the final instrument of death.

In closing arguments, the State mentions strangulation.

While the possibility of strangulation was brought up as “possible” by the medical examiner, it was never noted in the opening argument.

I feel like this detail and others likely created some confusion among the jurors because there was definitely some confusion expressed by many of those viewing the trial, including some of the other journalists covering the story.

Despite how I feel about the presentation of the case and evidence, I applaud Danny Goodman and Assistant District Attorney Tim Boxx for their efforts, hard work, and passion in pursuing this inherited case. I also applaud defense attorney Daniel Taylor for his best efforts to defend his client.

He most certainly was at no loss for objections, but the Defense scored some large wins in this trial, so his efforts were by no means futile.

I also commend Judge Mark Hayes for his patience, sincerity, and objectivity in handling this case. There were more than a few tough calls to make but he remained steadfast, trusting the law.

Do I ever think we will ever know the real truth of how Karen Swift was killed?

Likely not.

But I sincerely hope the retrial provides more closure for the families involved than this trial did.