Where is David Swift now? Details explored ahead of Dateline on NBC

NBC's famed true-crime show, Dateline, is all set to cover the shocking murder of Karen Swift and the involvement of David Swift, which still remains to be proven, in the same. Though the murder dates back to October 29, 2011, there were no arrests made for the murder for over 11 years before David Swift, Karen's husband, was indicted on the charges.

Dateline Season 33 Episode 6, titled After the Halloween Party, aims to uncover the more intricate details of this case. The episode airs at 9.00 PM EST on NBC on November 1, 2024. The synopsis for the same reads:

"After a Halloween party, a wife and mother of four vanishes. A decade later, a private investigator claims to uncover chilling new clues that turn the town upside down."

Despite the long time that has passed since the mother of four was brutally murdered, David Swift's trial commenced earlier this year. On June 6, the jury came up with a not-guilty verdict for first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree murder. However, the jury could not reach a verdict on the lesser included offense of voluntary manslaughter.

As the charge was not dismissed either, David Swift will soon face a trial for the charge of voluntary manslaughter. As of now, he is waiting for his new trial, where he may be proven innocent.

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What happened to Karen Swift and how was David Swift involved?

On the night of October 29, 2011, in Dyersburg, Tennessee, a 44-year-old mother of four, Karen Swift, disappeared out of the blue. Her car was discovered by two hunters on a rural roadside the next morning. Moreover, her cell phones were smashed near a neighbor's house. It seemed like a meticulously planned crime.

She was not found for six more weeks before her body was found hidden beneath a tangle of vines by a caretaker near Bledsoe Cemetery in Dyer County. The authorities were able to determine that she was murdered by being hit on the head with something heavy. The official cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma.

With no physical evidence, the police made no arrests, and the case went cold. Over a decade later, the authorities announced the arrest of David Swift in connection with Karen's 2011 murder. He was arrested and charged with first-degree premeditated murder. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The prosecutors were clear from the start of the trial that there was no physical evidence that linked David Swift to the crime, however, they alleged that David and Karen were going through a very rough period in their marriage, and weeks before she disappeared, she filed for divorce. The two had also allegedly split before in 2000 before they got remarried.

The prosecutors alleged that Karen Swift was about to leave him for good, which led to the crime. The prosecution also reportedly claimed that David had time and again tried to surveil and control his wife's movements.

Ultimately, following a long-drawn trial, the jury did not find David guilty on the charges of first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree murder. However, as they could not reach a verdict for voluntary manslaughter, it led to a mistrial.

David also allegedly faced another court case from his next wife Kelly Essman, who allegedly claimed he stalked and harrassed her. They separated shortly after their marriage.

Irrespective of this case involving Kelly Essman, David Swift will likely get a new trial, this time defending the charge of voluntary manslaughter for Karen Swift's murder.

He remains charged with his ex-wife's murder as of now. More updates about this case are slated to arrive soon.

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Dateline's upcoming episode on NBC will cover this case in detail.