DYERSBURG, TN (abc24.com) - The TBI is stepping up efforts to find a missing Dyersburg woman. Karen Swift disappeared nearly two weeks ago. Now investigators are bringing in heavy duty equipment to help with the search.
"I think every day we're closer, and we're not getting discouraged," says Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box.
Dyer County investigators are holding out hope as they gather needed clues into the disappearance of Karen Swift. The only real clue so far, is Swift's car.
"There’s nothing to indicate a struggle. No blood," says the sheriff.
The car was found about a mile from Swift's home. Detectives did find clothes inside. Those items were sent to the Tennessee State Crime Lab for review. Investigators are also looking over Swift's phone records.
"As far as releasing that, we can't afford to do that. It'll jeopardize the investigation,” Sheriff Box tells abc24.com.
Box did say one of the last people Karen Swift was in touch with before she disappeared was her teenage daughter. She sent a text message to her mom saying, “Mom come get me.” Authorities say Karen Swift picked up her daughter from a Halloween party. According to investigators, they arrived home between 1:30 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. Sunday, October 30th. Later that morning, Karen Swift was gone.
Swift's soon-to-be ex-husband David Swift also spoke with investigators. The pair filed for divorce three weeks before her disappearance. At this point, he hasn't been named as a suspect and is cooperating with police.
"We're not ruling out foul play. We can't until we know all the answers so we're keeping an open mind,” says Sheriff Box.
Neighbors think everything in the case is strange, to say the least.
“It's really weird. We really worry," says neighbor Brad Fuller.
Fuller has good reason to be worried. Theresa Gross, Holly Bobo, and now Karen Swift, are three West Tennessee women who vanished this year without a trace.
“It's awfully weird," says Fuller. "Three women come up missing. No one's seen them, no one heard from them, and they vanished like they got picked up off the Earth."
Fuller lives less than two miles from Swift. He says life has been hectic in this rural community since her disappearance.
For the first time investigators with the TBI's Mobile Crime Lab searched the Swift family home on Thursday, November 10th. They're in the process of reviewing Swift's phone records, but so far haven't turned up much.
Fuller is holding out hope and his heart goes out to the Swift family.
"I would like to know if she's dead or alive just to give the family some kind of peace," he says.
Dyer County Deputies say they will have volunteers on horseback searching nearby woods Saturday morning. If you have any information, call the Dyer County Sheriff's Office at 731-285-2802.
