Georgian arrested in 1985 church murders after DNA clears earlier suspect

Published: Dec. 11, 2024 at 11:33 AM EST
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WOODBINE, Ga. (AP) — Authorities have arrested and charged a southeast Georgia man with the 1985 killing of a couple at a Black church.

Harold and Thelma Swain were shot to death inside Rising Daughter Baptist Church in Waverly.

Ga. suspected drunken driver beaten, shot by witnesses

Some people who witnessed a crash went over to the driver and began beating him up before shooting him in the thigh, according to police.

Crime scene tape

A judge in 2021 exonerated Dennis Perry, who was originally charged in the shooting and spent two decades behind bars.

Authorities took a fresh look at the case and say they matched DNA evidence from the crime scene to 61-year-old Erik Kristensen Sparre.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says Sparre was arrested Monday on felony murder charges. It was not immediately known if he has an attorney representing him.