Murder: True Crime Stories – SOLVED: The Swain Murders 1

Host: Carter Roy
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Theme:
An in-depth, empathetic exploration of the 1985 double murder of Harold and Thelma Swain—pillars of the Black community in Waverly, Georgia—inside their beloved Rising Daughter Baptist Church. Episode 1 examines the Swains’ lives, community impact, the social context of their era, and the chilling events of the murder night.

Episode Overview

Host Carter Roy sets the tone for this two-part investigation by emphasizing the personal legacy of Harold and Thelma Swain, their central place in Waverly's Black community, and the profound impact their murder had on local residents. This episode focuses on who the Swains were, what they meant to people around them, and the terrifying night their sanctuary was violated.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Harold and Thelma Swain: Their Roots and Community Role

[06:05 – 19:02, 19:02 – 28:16]

• Early Life and Social Context

  • Harold grew up in the segregated South, one of 19 children, raised in Waverly, a predominantly Black, unincorporated area shaped by Jim Crow laws.
    • “Being excluded from white spaces led Black people to form their own—well, that’s how places like Waverly were born.” — Carter Roy [06:41]
  • Thelma was a Camden County native, also from a large family, just as deeply involved in the Rising Daughter Baptist Church.

• Marriage and Partnership

  • Met as children, married in 1941, and quickly became known for devotion to each other and to the community.
  • “They were the kind of people who spent all their time together not out of obligation, but because they genuinely enjoyed one another’s company.” — Carter Roy [10:47]

• Leadership and Activism

  • Harold’s logging business created jobs for locals; he was respected as a community advocate, and as area NAACP representative, worked directly with county officials for resources and infrastructure.
    • “He made sure the community got its fair share of county resources, like funds for public infrastructure... he fought for the things that would improve quality of life.” — Carter Roy [11:50]
  • Civil rights advancements were hard-won and often met with violence, a reality underscored by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968—a tragedy that resonated deeply with the Swains and their peers.

• Personal Sacrifice and Care

  • The Swains fostered and then raised Thelma’s niece’s child, Lafayne, reflecting their nurturing spirit.
  • “Even though Thelma and Harold loved children, they never had any of their own. Then in 1968, one of Thelma’s nieces fell on hard times… from then on, they raised the little girl as their own.” — Carter Roy [15:12]

2. The Night of the Murders

[19:02 – 29:16]

• Mission Group Meeting and the Intruder

  • On March 11, 1985, the Swains and seven women gathered at Rising Daughter for a mission department meeting.
  • At around 9pm, member Vanzola Williams left the sanctuary, encountered a disheveled young white man in black work clothes and cowboy boots—an extreme rarity in the all-Black rural church.

• Sequence of Events

  • The man asked for Harold; Vanzola relayed the message and Harold joined him in the vestibule.
  • A struggle ensued, heard by those in the sanctuary, followed by a volley of gunshots.
  • Thelma rushed after her husband and was shot.
  • Terrified, the women fled to hide as the shooter vanished.
  • Efforts to call for help failed—telephone wires had been cut.

• Fear and Action

  • With the shooter’s whereabouts unknown, panic reigned. President Marjorie Moore bravely fled through the back to seek outside help.
  • Gregory Reed, a local shop owner, and Harold’s cousin returned to the church with Marjorie; the trio discovered Harold and Thelma dead.

• Memorable Moment

  • “She [Thelma] burst right into the vestibule. That’s when another gunshot echoed through the halls of the church.” — Carter Roy [22:07]

3. Initial Investigation and Community Aftermath

[29:16 – 41:25]

• Crime Scene and Forensic Details

  • Chief Deputy Butch Kennedy was shaken by the brutality and called in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
  • Physical evidence: a unique, handmade pair of eyeglasses (not belonging to the victims, likely the suspect’s), strands of hair, and deliberately cut phone lines.
    • “On closer inspection, the glasses turned out to be pretty unique... the suspect might’ve done some sort of welding.” — Carter Roy [31:18]
  • With no DNA testing available in 1985, little could be done with collected evidence.

• Witness Accounts & Composite Sketch

  • Survivor-witnesses created identikit composites and worked with a sketch artist. The resulting image was generic; a flood of tips followed, but none credibly advanced the case.

• Public Fear and Tensions

  • Debate about the motive split the community and authorities. While robbery was suggested (though money was left untouched), others could not ignore the racial context.
    • “What they didn’t consider was context. Because while a lot had changed in Camden county over the last 30 years, some things remained the same. And no amount of legislation could dismantle the hate.” — Carter Roy [36:45]

• Press Conference & Reward

  • A $10,000 reward was raised for information, uniting Black and white leaders. Still, the peace of the community was shattered: “Their once safe bubble had burst, and now everyone was left feeling vulnerable.” — Carter Roy [34:55]

4. The Investigation Stalls and a Promising Lead

[41:25 – End]

• After hundreds of fruitless tips, a glimmer of hope arose in July when another county’s sheriff reported an inmate’s claim that an associate had bragged about the killings.
• The host hints at the long, fraught road to justice, setting up for part two.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “People’s lives are like a story. There’s a beginning, a middle, and an end. But you don’t always know which part you’re on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon.”
  — Carter Roy [00:43]

• “The Black community formed safe havens like Rising Daughter; they were places to find dignity—a refuge from the world outside.”
  — Carter Roy [07:24]

• “As far as [the sheriff] was concerned, this was a case of a robbery gone horribly wrong. Well, that was certainly one of the theories investigators were working on, but the evidence against it was pretty strong.”
  — Carter Roy [35:50]

• “If this was a robbery, it was certainly a bad one. And yet, investigators considered robbery a more probable motive than race.”
  — Carter Roy [36:25]

• “Thanks so much for listening. I’m Carter Roy, and this is True Crime Stories. Come back next time for part two on the murders of Harold and Thelma Swain and all the people it affected.”
  — Carter Roy [41:12]

Important Timestamps

• [06:05] — Introduction to the Swains’ upbringing and Jim Crow context
• [10:47] — Origin of Harold and Thelma’s marriage and partnership
• [12:12] — Harold’s business, advocacy, NAACP involvement
• [19:02] — Set-up for the night of the murders
• [22:07] — Thelma’s desperate rush to help Harold and subsequent gunshot
• [24:54] — The traumatized congregation’s flight and hiding
• [29:16] — Detective response and physical evidence review
• [36:45] — Discussion of race, community response, and investigatory bias

Tone & Style

Carter Roy's narration is steady, solemn, and deeply respectful, balancing factual history with emotional resonance. He places heavy emphasis on community, loss, and the chilling betrayal of sanctuary. The episode maintains a reflective, investigative tone, focusing not only on the crime but on its personal and societal contexts.

To Be Continued

The episode ends with the early investigation at an impasse but hints at a major break—an outside tip—which will be explored in part two, alongside questions of justice and whether the right person was ultimately convicted.

Recommended For:
Listeners who appreciate true crime stories with strong attention to detail, social context, and deep empathy for victims and their communities.