Georgia Man Arrested for 1985 Church Murders After DNA Evidence Clears Original Suspect

WOODBINE, Ga.—Authorities announced the arrest of a southeast Georgia man in connection with the 1985 murder of a couple at a black church, following the exoneration of the initial suspect based on DNA evidence.

Erik Kristensen Sparre, 61, faces charges of murder and aggravated assault regarding the deaths of Harold and Thelma Swain, according to a news release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation issued on Monday. Sparre’s arrest comes nearly four decades after the couple was shot dead inside Rising Daughter Baptist Church in Camden County, located along the coast.

Sparre emerged as a key suspect in a reopened investigation into the Swains’ murders after it was determined that the wrong individual had been prosecuted initially.

Dennis Perry was sentenced to life imprisonment after a jury found him guilty in 2003 of murdering the Swains. He spent 20 years incarcerated until a Superior Court judge ordered a retrial in 2020. In 2021, all charges against Perry were dismissed at the request of prosecutors.

The case was reexamined after attorneys from the Georgia Innocence Project conducted DNA testing on hairs discovered in the hinge of a pair of eyeglasses left near the victims’ remains. The DNA matched Sparre, a previous suspect, rather than Perry.

Additionally, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Sparre’s alibi, claiming he was at a grocery store during the time of the murders, was found to be unsubstantiated. The newspaper also highlighted concerns regarding Perry’s conviction, noting that jurors were not informed that a critical witness had received a $12,000 reward prior to testifying.

Related Stories

According to the GBI, Sparre was captured in Waynesville, approximately 90 miles southwest of Savannah, Georgia, and was processed at the Camden County jail.

Sparre has consistently denied any involvement in the Swains’ murders. A listed phone number for him was inactive on Tuesday, and it remains unclear whether he has legal representation.