Karen Swift Missing: Mom Found Dead, Homicide Investigation Begins (VIDEO)

By Daniel Distant, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The body of Karen Swift, the missing Tennessee mother, was found badly decomposed near a graveyard about three miles from her car Saturday afternoon.

Missing Mother of Four Had Filed for Divorce Weeks Before Disappearance

Karen Johnson Swift was 44 at the time of her disappearance, and the mother of four’s body was found by Dyer County police in a lump of vines and other vegetation. The winter elements and the foliage may have been the factor that concealed the body for the six long weeks authorities searched.

“(The body) had been there some time,” said county sheriff Jeff Box, according to WBBJ-TV, “The body had been concealed by vegetation.”

Swift had been missing since Oct. 30, when last reports stated she had returned from a Halloween party at 1:30 a.m. The next available evidence of Swift’s demise comes from her white 2004 Nissan Murano, which was found a few miles from the body.

Now, since authorities have found Swift’s body with damage done to it, they are official ending the missing persons’ case and beginning a homicide investigation.

“There were some apparent injuries to the body. We’re going to wait to let the medical examiner’s final report tell us the extent of those injuries,” said Box.

Karen Swifts Body Found

So far, no suspects have been officially named, although police report that Swift was in the midst of a divorce with her husband, David Smith, and that the man currently still lived in the Tennessee home with her.

Authorities have interviewed Smith to find out the timeline behind Swift’s disappearance, but it is unknown if they have questioned him regarding the murder.

Janet Ross, Swift’s best friend since high school, spoke to KAIT-TV about the occurrence, stating that it wasn’t enough simply to find the body: she wants to find the murderer too.

"I definitely don't think Karen wandered away from her vehicle three miles down the road and stumbled into some weeds and died," said the upset friend, "I want to know who it was and I want to prosecute."

Swift leaves behind two college-aged sons, and two daughters, age 7 and 9.