David Swift faces voluntary manslaughter charges a month after ‘not guilty’ verdict

July 2, 2024

Garrett Evans,

DRESDEN, Tenn. — David Swift, who last month received a not guilty verdict in the murder trial of his then wife, Karen Swift, is now facing charges for voluntary manslaughter.

In the month of June, Swift was on trial for the 2011 murder of his Wife, Karen Swift, in which he received a not guilty verdict for first degree murder. However, the lesser charges included in the original indictment of voluntary manslaughter and attempted voluntary manslaughter were ruled a mistrial.

Now, a grand jury has indicted him for the charge of voluntary manslaughter.

The defense argued the statute of limitations for the state to prosecute on lesser charges is null and void after the not guilty verdict from the previous trial, because the previous cases indictment did not include superseding language.

“With jeopardy attached, these were not actionable. The state had not done anything before to amend it. The statute of limitations were expired, so it’s over with,” said District Attorney General, Danny Goodman.

Goodman, argued that they did not need a superseding indictment and instead created a new indictment. Statute of limitations was still in play because Swift moved from Tennessee, and no period of time outside Tennessee is included in the period of limitations. Goodman believes they could come back with new indictment with any lesser offense included in the original.

“Once he left in 2014, under this statute, we had a right to come back within a four year period of him moving back to Tennessee your honor he still has not moved back to Tennessee, he’s still not a resident of Tennessee,” said Goodman.

After an hour of deliberation where the defense and the state included supporting cases to their arguments, Judge Hayes made the call to look over each of their arguments and return in court another day.