Greenville is a quaint little town in western Pennsylvania with little to hide. A college town that, to most, seems like any other. Nothing much happens here, and most people are completely unaware of the skeletons that are hidden in the closet. The worst skeleton also happens to be one of the best kept secrets I’ve come across.
In February and March 1987 burglaries occurred at the fraternity houses on the Thiel College campus. Edward Swiger and Roger (Butch) Pratt, best friends at the time, were questioned in September about the incidents. In May 1988 Roger Pratt was approached by police again regarding an arson that occurred at a Greenville furniture store. It was these incidents and a twisted scheme of events that lead to the violent and brutal murder of Roger Pratt.
Pratt was later arrested for the fraternity burglaries. Edward Swiger and his girlfriend Linda Karlen learned in June 1988 about Pratt’s arrest. They became worried he would incriminate the couple and Edward’s brother Michael in both the burglaries and the arson. After serving his time for the fraternity burglaries Pratt had planned to visit his girlfriend in Akron, Ohio. This is when Edward conjured up the grand scheme to meet up with Pratt in Akron.
Michael Swiger drove to Greenville to pick up Edward. Pratt would not recognize Michael’s car. Linda, Edward and Michael all drove to Akron before Pratt had the chance to see his girlfriend. The trio turned the girlfriend’s opinion of Pratt upside down by telling her Pratt was unfaithful and got another girl pregnant at Thiel. After believing that news the girlfriend agreed to arrange a meeting between Edward and Pratt.
The original plan called for Pratt’s girlfriend to lure him to Hudson, Ohio for a party. It was later testified in court that the brothers planned to offer Pratt money not to testify against them. Edward told his brother that if Roger Pratt did not take the money he would “rough him up a little bit or something like that.” On June 17, 1988 the girlfriend picked up Pratt at an Akron bus station and delivered him to the Swiger brothers on a gated access road leading to a gas well.
Somehow Pratt was convinced to get out of the car. His girlfriend turned around and drove away, once passed the gate Michael Swiger came out of the bushes and closed the gate trapping the three men on the desolate road. Michael then ran to his brother who was already engaging Pratt. Looking in the rear view mirror, the girlfriend could see Pratt on his knees with the Swiger brothers surrounding him.
Edward proceeded to brandish a handgun and fire it in front of Pratt’s face, narrowly missing. A struggle ensued and Matthew threw rocks at Roger Pratt but missed. Edward beat Pratt in the head until he lay motionless. He then tied Pratt’s feet together and handcuffed the body. Pratt was then put into a garbage bag and locked in the trunk of Michael’s car which had been hidden in the bushes near the gate. The brothers drove the car to pick up Karlen who had been waiting with a friend in Kent, Ohio.
Edward and Karlen drove the car with Pratt’s dead body back to Greenville. Michael arrived later with a friend. The two brothers then drove the car with the body to a nearby farm and dug a shallow grave. Next they washed the car to remove any blood. They returned home and washed their hands of the events.
Over a year had passed since the murder and police had made no arrests. Linda Karlen ended her relationship with Edward in October 1989 and told police of what they had done. Edward, Michael, Linda and the girlfriend were all arrested. Michael was charged with involuntary manslaughter and kidnapping, he was sentenced to 21 – 53 years in Ohio state prison. Edward is serving a life sentence for beating Pratt to death. Linda Karlen was sentenced to 7 – 15 years for luring Pratt to the gated road. All three face charges in Pennsylvania after their release. Edward Swiger will not be eligible for parole until 2033.
This story was later turned into a made for TV movie entitled “What happened to Bobby Earl?” After so many years this story is still little known in the small community of Greenville. The college students rotate out frequently and many of the local residents have let these tragic events slip out of their memories.
