Man Charged in 1985 Murder of Couple Following DNA Evidence Exonerating Original Suspect | US News
A man in Georgia has been charged in connection to the 1985 murder of a couple at a Black church, following the exoneration of the initial suspect through DNA evidence.
Erik Kristensen Sparre is now facing charges of felony murder and aggravated assault related to the deaths of Harold and Thelma Swain.
The 61-year-old was taken into custody nearly four decades after the couple was shot dead inside the Rising Daughter Baptist Church in Camden County.
Sparre emerged as a key suspect in a renewed investigation after officials concluded they had wrongfully prosecuted the original suspect.
Harold and Thelma Swain were shot and killed during a bible study class Pic: Family handout
Dennis Perry was convicted in 2003 Pic: Georgia Bureau of Investigation
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Dennis Perry received a life sentence after being found guilty of murdering the Swains in 2003.
He spent 20 years behind bars until a judge ordered a retrial in 2020.
All charges against Mr. Perry were dismissed in 2021 after prosecutors requested to abandon the case.
A fresh examination of the case was initiated by investigators and the courts after the Georgia Innocence Project’s attorneys examined DNA from hairs found on a pair of glasses left near the victims’ bodies.
The DNA analysis pointed to Sparre as a match, rather than Perry.
