*Menu
Search
Submit
Dyersburg State Gazette

Sheriff's Dept. searching for missing Dyer County woman

Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Swift

The Dyer County Sheriff's Department is currently investigating the disappearance of a 44-year-old mother of four after she was reported missing on Sunday.

Karen Johnson Swift was last seen at her home on Willie Johnson Road on Sunday, Oct. 30, at approximately 1:30 a.m.

Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box stated Swift's white 2004 Nissan Murano was recovered on Millsfield Highway near the intersection of Harness Road. The vehicle reportedly had a flat tire when it was found and was pointed north, just a short distance from her house.

Swift is described as:

Officers with the Dyer County Sheriff's Department and Tennessee Department of Corrections finish a search of the Millsfield area where Karen Swift's car was found with a flat tire. Swift has been reported to the FBI's National Crime Information Center as a missing person.
Officers Dickie Vanstory (left) and James Dickens (right) with the Tennessee Department of Corrections at Fort Pillow use their bloodhound Jenny to search for any clues into Karen Swift's disappearance along Millsfield Highway. Swift was reported as missing on Sunday.

Age: 44

Race: White

DOB: 1/25/67

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Green

Height: 5' 5"

Weight 138 lbs.

Box said Swift had arrived home late Saturday evening/early Sunday morning and dropped her children off at her house on Willie Johnson Road. He stated Swift's husband said he spoke to her in the stairwell and then went to bed and that was the last time she was seen.

On Sunday, Box said Swift's friends reported her missing and her car was found on Millsfield Highway.

Box, along with other officers have been searching the area for Swift and a K-9 team from Fort Pillow State Prison searched the Millsfield area on Monday afternoon.

Dickie Vanstory and James Dickens with the Tennessee Department of Corrections in Lauderdale County brought a bloodhound and searched the area around Swift's residence and where her car was found.

"We did a circle of the perimeter," said Vanstory who has been with the TDOC since 1980.

Box said the dog didn't hit on anything that could help them at the moment and his department is looking at other pieces of information in the investigation.

"This is still a missing person investigation and we are still talking to people and looking at cell phone records," said Box.

Swift's car was impounded and will be processed for clues as to what happened to Swift.

"We are going to have it processed very thoroughly and see if it produces any evidence that tells us what happened here," said Box.

He noted that none of the Swift's family members or friends have heard from her.

Box is asking anyone who has had contact with Swift, recalls seeing anyone near her vehicle since her disappearance, or has information regarding her whereabouts to contact the Dyer County Sheriff's Office at 731-285-2802.

A reward may be paid for any information that may assist in this investigation.

Comments
View 13 comments
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

  • Everyone should try to help find this lady. IF anyone knows anything, please contact the sheriff or police!

    -- Posted by TnWanderer on Mon, Oct 31, 2011, at 7:50 PM

  • IT hard to believe that a Stranger would be on that Road so who ever took her must be Local.You can get Lost out there Fast.

    -- Posted by billye_jackson2000 on Tue, Nov 1, 2011, at 6:27 AM

  • This kind of publicity wouldn't be happening if it were a black woman from the hood missing.Just saying.

    -- Posted by BroJams on Tue, Nov 1, 2011, at 11:29 AM

  • brojams, shut up. this is a human life and mother that is missing. pray she is found safe.

    -- Posted by seniorcomment on Tue, Nov 1, 2011, at 11:33 AM

  • Amen Seniorcomment!! I second that! Dear lord, please put her children and husband in the palm of your hands and give them peace through this difficult time. I pray that you guide our wonderful law inforcement in the right direction to help them bring this Mother/Wife home to the people who love and miss her. In your name we pray, Amen.

    -- Posted by raspberrie on Tue, Nov 1, 2011, at 11:51 AM

  • Brojams-really? Must everything in Dyersburg be about race? This is a mother of 4 children who happens to be white. If this was a mother of 4 children who was black we would all be helping jsut the same! Stop playing th race card and pray! God doesn't disciminate between color. Get over yourself!

    -- Posted by nicholsrena on Tue, Nov 1, 2011, at 12:05 PM

  • Stop playing the "race card", brojams. It's never right, and especially now. This community needs to pull together to bring this young lady safely home!

    Brojams is just a stupid JERK wanting attention. Oops...did I just give him what he wanted? Oh well, he is to be pitied...notice how the "bros" have been even more erroneously vocal since the one they worship spouts, condones and promotes racial tension from the Whitehouse?

    -- Posted by talk2t53 on Tue, Nov 1, 2011, at 12:16 PM

  • Hopefully this will have a happy ending...

    -- Posted by Dude2010 on Tue, Nov 1, 2011, at 12:32 PM

  • It doesn't sound right from the berginning... Arrived home early sunday morning, dropped her children off and thats it. Her car a short distance from her home on flat.Looks like she has broke camp. Sounds fishy. Let the invstigation play itself out.

    -- Posted by DMASE on Tue, Nov 1, 2011, at 1:21 PM

  • I just don't understand why you would be DROPPING your kids off at home at 1:30am, did she not live there? Did she leave to go somewhere else and never showed up or was she supposed to be home for the night? If he spoke to her in the stairwell, what was said? Was she coming to bed or mad and leaving? To many gaps in the story. I'm confused.

    -- Posted by swampfox on Tue, Nov 1, 2011, at 3:19 PM

  • No newson the Holly Bobo case latley. Our jeff box will get to bottom of Mrs. Swift with help from every one else..... SO help or d on't post some thing hurtful ok!

    -- Posted by chief_ty20 on Tue, Nov 1, 2011, at 7:00 PM

  • Brojams is just trying to stir up trouble. He "ain`t nothin~". Thats just racism at it`s worst. This isn`t about racism, it`s about a loving mother who needs her kids and husband regardless of her color.

    -- Posted by Grandad on Wed, Nov 2, 2011, at 10:40 AM

  • We(all your friends) are praying for your safe return Karen, God speed!!!!!!!!!

    -- Posted by sonshine64 on Thu, Nov 3, 2011, at 4:44 PM
Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: