David Swain Convicted In Scuba Diving Death Of Wife Shelley Tyre

by Yuliya Talmazan | October 28, 2009 at 12:03 pm

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Fifty-three year old David Swain of Rhode Island was found guilty in the death of his wife Shelley Tyre, who drowned while scuba diving 10 years ago. Many were calling the incident a "perfect murder." Tyre died while scuba diving during the couple's vacation on British Virgin Islands. It is alleged Swain tore off Tyre's air mask and held her until she drowned. At the time, Tyre's death was ruled an accident, but Tyre's family became suspicious and filed a suit.

The jury accepted expert opinion that Swain had held his wife from behind at a depth of about 25m and, as the pair struggled, turned off her air supply until she succumbed.

Tyre, then 46 and described as an experienced diver, was found floating at the surface with air still in her cylinder, damage to her mask, a snorkel missing its mouthpiece, and just one fin. The other was left stuck in the seabed.

Swain faces life in prison. His sentence will be announced in the coming weeks.