Erik Kristensen Sparre, 61, of Waynesville, has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault in the 1985 slayings of Harold and Thelma Swain at the Rising Daughter Baptist Church in Woodbine. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest on December 9, following a lengthy investigation.
Just The Facts:
• Sparre was arrested in Waynesville in Brantley County, without incident and is being held in the Camden County Jail.
• The case, reopened in 2020 due to potential new evidence, has been under active investigation.
• The GBI executed a search warrant at Sparre’s property in August 2020, seeking further evidence.
• Harold and Thelma Swain were fatally shot in their church, a crime that led to a previous conviction overturned after new developments.
The Details: In May 2020, the GBI and Camden County Sheriff’s Office revisited the cold case, seeking to clarify the circumstances surrounding the murders. The case had been closed following a 2003 conviction that was later vacated, prompting renewed interest.
The investigation gained traction with tips from the public and forensic advancements. In August 2020, the GBI searched the Waynesville property where Sparre and his late mother had lived, uncovering potential links to the crime.
How You Can Help: The GBI encourages anyone with information to contact their Kingsland office at 912-729-6198. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the agency’s hotline at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477) or online at GBI Tipline. The “See Something, Send Something” mobile app is another avenue for submitting information.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
