UPDATE: The Sheriff’s Office today received a preliminary autopsy report from the Arkansas State Medical Examiner’s Office in Little Rock regarding the death of Gary Lee Swain from August 17th. This report indicates that the manner of death has been determined to be a Suicide. This confirms the initial indications of Suicide found during the investigation of the incident scene by the Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Office.

Sheriff John Montgomery

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The Baxter County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of 52 year old Gary Lee Swain of 201 CR 1134. At approximately 6:47 PM on Wednesday, August 17th, the Sheriff's Office was notified of a 911 call from that address reporting a disturbance and a man threatening to shoot himself. Sheriff's Corporal George Edings was the first person to arrive at the address. Once on scene, Corporal Edings and other responders found Gary Lee Swain deceased inside the residence from an apparent gunshot wound to the head. A handgun was found adjacent to the body and taken into evidence.

The call to 911 was placed by a female who also resides in the same residence and who was present during the incident. The Arkansas State Police and Baxter County Coroner's Office assisted at the scene. The body of Gary Swain will be sent to the Arkansas State Medical Examiner's Office in Little Rock for autopsy.

The death is now under investigation. Although indications are that Gary Swain died of a self-inflicted injury, no official determination has yet been made as to the nature of the death pending preliminary autopsy results.

John F. Montgomery,
Baxter County Sheriff