Where is Karen Swift’s husband today?

NBC’s “Dateline: After the Halloween Party” and ABC’s “20/20: Her Last Halloween” focus on a 2011 murder case. Karen Swiftwhose body was found six weeks after she disappeared from the home she shared with husband David Swift. As investigators dug deeper, they discovered that, for obvious reasons, David was at the top of the suspect list. Through exclusive interviews with the victim’s relatives, viewers receive a detailed description of the entire case and investigation. Since the case has not been solved yet, questions naturally arise in the minds of viewers about the whereabouts of the alleged killer.

The police had reason to suspect David Swift of involvement in Karen Swift’s murder

On September 23, 1989, David Swift married a woman named Karen Johnson Swift in the presence of his loved ones. Their few blissful years of marriage were marked by the birth of their two sons, Preston David Swift and Dustin Glen Swift, and two daughters, Ashley Paige Swift and Keeley Shea Swift. However, more than several decades later, the marriage began to show signs of deterioration. So in the second week of October 2011, Karen filed for divorce, and the couple was preparing to split up after several years together. But for now she continued to live with him.

Photo credit: Floral Designer/Find a Grave

Given the tense circumstances in their marriage, authorities suspected David of involvement in the disappearance and murder of his wife, who disappeared after returning home from a Halloween party on October 29, 2011. The next morning, he allegedly could not find his wife. wife and reported her missing. Because he was the last person to see her before she disappeared, police believed he might be linked to her disappearance. When questioned by detectives, he told them he spoke to her after she returned from a Halloween party late that evening. Suspicions intensified when on December 10, 2011, her body was found in a nearby cemetery.

In August 2022, David allegedly left his first marriage and married another woman with whom he lived in Birmingham, Alabama. He was unexpectedly arrested on charges of first-degree intentional murder of Karen Swift. The authorities eventually created strong evidence against him and linked him to the crime. Claiming his innocence and pleading not guilty to the charges, he was released from custody after paying a $200,000 bail. However, in July 2023, he was arrested for stalking his then-ex-wife in Jefferson County.

David Swift is on trial for the murder of Karen Swift

More than 11 years after the murder of Karen Swift in late May 2024, David Swift appeared in court in the same case. Although prosecutors argued that he was the only person with a motive for the murder, the defense argued that no direct evidence could link the defendant to the crime. Moreover, David’s attorney reminded the jury that he had suffered a knee injury at the time, which made it physically difficult for him to attack his wife. To strengthen the defense, David’s lawyers brought numerous witnesses to the trial, including David and Karen’s two children, Ashley Swift and Dustin Swift. Leaning on her father’s side, Ashley testified that she did not hear or see any signs of a fight between her parents on that fateful night.

The prosecution alleged that the defendant moved Ashley from her mother’s room to another room while she slept before attacking Karen and killing her in the garage. Refuting the claim, Ashley testified that Karen, not David, moved her that night. On the other hand, Dustin Swift also testified in court that he did not notice anything unusual in the house or garage after his mother’s disappearance. Thus, on June 6, 2024, the jury found David Swift not guilty of first- and second-degree murder and attempted first- and second-degree murder.

As for the manslaughter charge, the jury could not agree on a verdict, leading to a mistrial. A few weeks later, the suspect was charged with intentional manslaughter and aggravated assault. During a hearing in July 2024, the defense argued that the statute of limitations had expired on these two charges. Nevertheless, the judge ordered a retrial of the case. Currently, David is in custody awaiting his retrial date.