Georgia man arrested in 1985 church murders after DNA evidence exonerates original suspect

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, Georgia. 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.