CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. – As the trial of Erik Sparre approaches, his defense attorneys are requesting that any mention of racist statements or slurs be excluded from the proceedings.
Sparre is charged with the 1985 murders of Harold and Thelma Swain inside the Rising Daughter Baptist Church in Camden County, Georgia.
Erik Sparre’s trial is set to begin with jury selection in late October. Sparre was arrested in December 2024 for the murders of the Swains, a case that had previously led to the wrongful conviction and eventual exoneration of another man, Dennis Perry. The defense has filed over a dozen motions in preparation for the trial.
During a motions hearing Thursday, Sparre’s attorneys argued against the inclusion of any references to racial slurs, Confederate flags, or affiliations with the Ku Klux Klan. They also sought to exclude incidents of prior domestic violence from the trial. The defense contends that these elements are not relevant to the case. The assistant district attorney countered that such references speak to a possible motive and state of mind at the time of the murders.
“You had a church full of women, children in a bible study,” the prosecutor argued. “One male present, all of whom were African American, and he chose that particular location as a target of opportunity.”
The defense fired back, questioning the relevance of such testimony. The public defender even went through a list of the names of potential witnesses she believed would speak to those things.
“We object to anything related to any kind of comments on his character that is not related to this case itself,” she argued.
The question of mitochondrial DNA was also discussed, with testimony from an analyst indicating that the DNA is inherited through the mother. In the past, prosecutors said investigators linked DNA from a pair of glasses at the crime scene to Sparre, using a sample from his mother, Gladys Sparre.
The defense is seeking limitations on the use of the Swains’ autopsy photos and personal photos during the trial, among other motions. They also requested that no mention be made of crimes committed by Sparre’s son, David Sparre, who was sentenced to death for fatally stabbing a woman inside her Jacksonville apartment in 2010.
The defense’s list of witnesses includes Sparre’s brother, original investigators, the former Camden County sheriff, and the eyewitnesses inside the church when the Swains were killed. Most of whom are deceased.
The judge is expected to rule on the motions within 30 days. As the legal proceedings continue, the focus remains on ensuring a fair trial while addressing the complexities of the case.