Hmm, thats strange so they begin driving up and down the road. While driving his Chevy Lumina, Brandon accidentally crashed into a small ditch. Her books are available on Amazon. (2007, November 20). He ended up in Porter, which is only 10 minutes away from Canby. The spring semester had just come to an end and on the night of May 13th, 2008, Swanson attended two different parties to celebrate. Brandon was frustrated that his parents obviously were in the wrong spot, Brandons parents were frustrated that he obviously must have given him the wrong location, and tensions are high out here in the middle of the night. Calls back to his phone indicated the phone was still on, but Brandon Swanson did not answer. Up and down side roads and gravel paths, and even the bar in Lynd. After initially attending a gathering in Lynd, located roughly seven miles southwest from his home, he made his way to his Canby destination, roughly 35 miles northwest of his home. The same argument holds true for Mud Creek, so it would be a mistake to focus all of the search efforts on that location. But the thing that really eliminates this for me is the phone call with his dad. He said most landowners are more than willing to make it work, as they're dedicated to their community and the Swanson family. When the 911 operator asked if he needed an ambulance Brandon replied no, he needed police to respond. He and his wife began calling Brandons friends, who also rushed to the area to search for him in the dark night. Lincoln County Sheriff Jack Vizecky even personally walked up and down the two mile stretch of river in the area every day for 30 days, but nothing was found. "The search area is always bigger than you suspect it, Hasse. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Brandon s parents, Brian and . You can find out more information about the Jacob Wetterling Resources Center here. He attended what Ive described elsewhere as a party, but if you dig a little deeper you find that it was actually what Id call more of a get-together. I hear a maximum of maybe 6 people including Brandon, so nothing crazy. They searched the river high and low, but still, no sign of Brandon. The bloodhounds picked up a 3-mile scent trail that went along field roads to an abandoned farm, and then carried on along the Yellow Medicine River to a point where it seemed like Brandon entered the stream and then got back out. He wanted to blow off steam and eagerly went to a party in Canby on May 14, 2008. . Annette Swanson says the best thing the public can do to help families with missing loved ones is to support volunteer civilian groups that do long term searches. We were able to use the cellphone tower technology to have an idea of where his last communications or phone calls came from, so that put us on a cell tower up in that area, Wallen said. Firstly, Brandon was legally blind in one eye. Brandons parents encourage him to honk his horn. During The Initial Search, One Officer Allegedly Said Swanson 'Had A Right To Be Missing' After a fruitless night of searching for her son, Annette Swanson called police around 6:30 am to report him missing. The bill, named Brandon's Law, would eliminate waiting periods when adults disappear under suspicious circumstances, or when young adults up to age 21 are reported missing under most circumstances. When Emergency Support Services initially took over the majority of search efforts for Brandon Swanson in late 2008, they ran into the issue of landowner permission, particularly among cattle farmers who took issue with search canines present on their property. Brandon was only 19 years old when he went missing. A strange phenomenon keeps occurring where young men go missing from their cars and then seem to vanish into thin air. (LogOut/ Did he fall into a ditch? 37 Matt Mervis Chc. Search dogs were brought in from the Twin Cities, and a team of bloodhounds from nearby Codington County, South Dakota were utilized. The vehicle they were driving was found in "The Desert," shown here on this map. "It sounded like the phone fell, said Annette Swanson. Retrieved Nov. 18, 2010, from http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/49466647.html. Sometimes multiple times a day even. We try and work out a method that would make it acceptable, and weve not been able to come up with a working compromise.. Family and friends indicated that Brandon had always been a high-functioning and emotionally stable individual and for his whereabouts not to be discovered for nearly three years makes the mental breakdown explanation highly unlikely. Follow Books from this author Missing in Pennsylvania: Unsolved Cases from the Keystone. At the time of his disappearance Brandon was 19 years old, 5'6" and 120 lbs. While on his way, he accidentally drove his car off of the road and got it stuck in a ditch. Brandon Lawson 911 call depicted last moments before he went missing Around 11:30 p.m. Aug. 8, Lawson called his father and mentioned he was heading to his parents' house in Crowley, about 3. 00:00. Where is that unaccounted for hour and a half to two hours? No physical evidence in his case has been uncovered. Search efforts for Brandon Swanson will move forward when the weather allows, Anderson said and theyll continue to wait for access to areas that could hold answers to their investigation. In situations where landowners have declined, Flaten said probable cause has not existed for law enforcement to step in. He asked his parents to meet him in the parking lot of a popular nightclub in Lynd. In a ditch on the side of the road, just as he said. Unable to move his vehicle, he reached out to his parents for help. The problem is that as time goes on, it becomes much more complicated to fulfill the search because you need to have canines that have experience in aged scent, Anderson said. Brandon had been celebrating the end of the spring semester with friends from Minnesota West Community and Technical College's Canby campus. Current searches are focusing on a specific area of Mud Creek, which is also located in the vicinity where Brandons car was found. When Brian and Annette arrived at the location described by Brandon, neither Brandon nor his car was there. It was a cold night. That is until Brandons had some trouble on this ride, and he somehow managed to get his car stuck in a ditch off the shoulder of the road. Perhaps this is why he misunderstood where he was, why he ended up in the wrong area, how he drifted gently off the road. There was no way to miss each other so what was going on. At first, the authorities were reluctant to search because Brandon was legally an adult and they pointed out to that it was not unusual for a 19-year-old to stay out all night. In 1912, a four-year-old boy named Bobby Dunbar went missing on a family trip, 8 months later he was found and reunited with his family. Brandon Swanson. Brandon Victor Swanson was born on Jan. 30, 1989, and by 19, he was a 5-foot, 6-inch student at Minnesota West Community and Technical College. So Also, if Brandon was actually planning his disappearance, getting his car purposefully stuck in a ditch and trying to reach out to multiple people to get help seems like a strange way to carry out such a plan. However, local police initially didnt take their concerns seriously, stating that it wasnt at all unusual for a young man his age to stay out all night and advising them to just be patient and wait for him to return on his own. 34 Isaac Paredes-2B/3B TB. It got down to 39 degrees.". The search dogs also picked up the scent of human remains a few times near Mud Creek, north of Porter. Confident they knew exactly where he was, Brian and Annette head to help their son. Though Brandons case tragically remains unsolved, wherever Brandon is he can be proud of his legacy of enacting a new Law in his honor. He hangs up the phone and tries to call Brandon back several times, but he never picked up the phone again. Trisha Taurinskas is an enterprise crime reporter for Forum Communications Co., specializing in stories related to missing persons, unsolved crime and general intrigue. Wallen would not indicate specifics regarding an alleged argument.Wallen said all tips are followed up on, regardless of how many separate people have come forward. At around 1:45 a.m., Brian Swanson and Annette Swanson received a phone call from their son indicating his Chevrolet Lumina had veered into a ditch. Swanson, 19, disappeared in May of 2008 after running his car off the road in rural western Minnesota. Brandon excelled in school. He tells his parents that he does not see or hear anything at all. Brandons phone went immediately dead as if he hit the hang up button. David Francis, left, and Brandons father Brian Swanson at right with glasses. Rosenblum, G. (2009, July 2). While his teams investigation has been extensive, relying on trained professional canine handlers and search dogs with advanced capabilities, there are still portions of land in that area that Emergency Support Services has not been allowed to access. A Hubbard Broadcasting Company, You can find out more information about the Jacob Wetterling Resources Center here, You can find out more about the organization here. Join Facebook to connect with Brandon Swanson and others you may know. Brandon Swanson said he could see lights in the distance, which he believed were coming from the town of Lynd. Episode Summary. But when they didnt answer, he had no choice but to call his Dad at about 1:54 am to come assist him. He attended a small gathering at a house, where it is said that there was alcohol, however, Brandon did not appear to be drunk. He left for home at midnight, but somehow, almost two hours later, was still by Porter. Thanks to the Crawlspace podcast, which interviewed Kyle Lawson, we now have a lot more details than we did when Brandon first went missing. . Brandons family and volunteers have continued ground searches for him over the years, but absolutely no trace of Brandon Swanson has ever been recovered including his cell phone, and his glasses- items that I personally think would be likely to turn up if hed been injured in the wilderness somehow. The search for Brandon Swanson blog (n.d.). Your brain is in a constant state of trying to figure it out, but you dont have anything to go on. However, once they arrive to Brandons location, he is nowhere to be found. to search parties working to find Swanson, missing since . Brandon's family played a big role in changing state law to. No physical evidence in his case has been uncovered. He also placed phone calls to his parents to pick him up, which is not be the behavior of someone planning to take his own life. "And when one goes as long as this, you know the family has put their hopes on your shoulders. Pictured above: Map pinpointing the geography of Brandon Swanson's disappearance timeline Picture source: Killer Hangover Podcast February 17, 2022. His phone was thought to have been on for two days after his disappearance because every call made to the phone after his disappeared resulted in several rings and then a voicemail recording. Is it possible that Brandon met with foul play? #1. It seems impossible that they could walk away from their vehicles, sometimes even leaving their clothes behind and . He hasn t been heard from since. At the time of his disappearance he was known to be wearing A white t-shirt under a blue striped Polo sweatshirt, baggy blue jeans, a black hooded zip-up jacket with an emblem on the back, a white flat-billed Minnesota Twins baseball cap twisted to the side, white sneakers, a heavy sterling silver necklace and one stud earring in each ear. The Night of the Disappearance These have been discounted as well. 1.7M Likes, 16.2K Comments. I also think its extremely unlikely considering he was excited about his fall plans. Brandon Swanson vanished from his vehicle after a small accident just before 2am on May 14, 2008 near Canby, MN. The focus of the search moved to this area after bloodhounds led searchers there in March 2010. And as it fell, we could hear him say oh! Right off the bat, police were not convinced that Brandon was actually missing. Brandons family played a big role in changing state law to make law enforcement more responsive to reports of missing people. A mental breakdown does not seem like a plausible cause of Brandons disappearance, although it cannot be ruled out entirely. Unfortunately, no one has been able to answer that for certain. Brandons evening started in the nearby town of Lynd, about 7 miles southwest of his home in Marshall. With each passing year, different types of search dogs are required to pick up on aging scents. Brandon Victor Swanson was last seen on May 15th 2008 in Canby Minnesota. Birthday: 01/20/1989. When an individual dies and the cause of death is unknown or uncertain, investigators employ the psychological autopsy, or equivocal death analysis. Brandon's Law, named for Swanson, was passed later in 2008. He brought in expert handlers with trailing dogs. The farm fields where Hasse believes Brandon is are on Highway 68 between Canby and Porter, six miles from where his car was found. Brandon died of hypothermia after falling into the Yellow Medicine River. It's believed he died of exposure. With no body and very little evidence, it is impossible to know what happened to Brandon, leaving every possibility open for speculation. We dont dispute the reason why. Additionally, there are many unmarked cisterns in the area and its possible that he could have fallen into one of them. At 6 a.m., Annette and her husband Brian called police. Though Brandon may have enjoyed himself early on that evening, what happened later that night is a baffling mystery, one where the deeper you dig the less things seem to make sense. Divine, M. (2010, May 14). As his parents left their home to lend him a hand, Brandon directed them to exactly where he was: about midway between Lynd and Marshall. Brandons parents ask him what he sees around them and they listen as he describes basically the same thing THEY see. That type of excavation took place again as recently as the fall of 2021. In many circumstances, this is third-hand information. I mean, you could place a call and it would ring before turning over to voicemail, Lyon County Sheriff Eric Wallen said. There are resources available to provide assistance to families with missing loved ones. You can find out more information here. They see darkness. Shortly after midnight on May 14 Brandon left Lynd to head back to his parents home in Marshall, where he lived. Ok Brandon lets honk our horn He says he cant hear them. The dogs led authorities to the banks of the Yellow Medicine River, which at the time of the disappearance was high and flowing fast. Kelsea Schneider is a senior at the College of St. Benedict/St. Leaving the car and navigating dark fields, Brandon called his parents for help. Theyve performed 1,900 K-9 missions, using 45 highly-trained dogs, led by 35 handlers from nine states. That much I can say.. Cadaver dogs have indicated a scent in the area, which is evidence enough, Hasse stated, for the search to continue (The Search for Brandon blog). Selected by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2009 MLB draft, Belt made his debut with the big club in 2011 and then promptly captured World Series titles in . Swanson's case remains unsolved. She was witnessed that night by several motorists walking along the highway, but when one of them tried to talk to her, she ran into the nearby woods. Jason Chen, her boyfriend and accused killer, is currently being held without bond. Shortly thereafter, his car was located in a ditch near Taunton. Inside The Mysterious Disappearance Of Brandon Lawson, Who Vanished From A Highway In Texas Published March 29, 2022 Updated April 18, 2022 After Brandon Lawson ran out of gas in the dead of night on rural Route 277, he made a series of strange phone calls and was never seen again. Guimond analysis maintains mystery. "When its not clear as to the last know place where the person was seen, or for any other reason jurisdiction is in question, the county where the person was last known to reside has jurisdiction," said Annette Swanson. Monday is Brandon Swanson's 28th birthday. He told his parents that he believed himself to be near the city of Lynd and that the lights he spotted off in the distance were coming from there. Brandons vehicle was located approximately 25 miles from Lynd, the town he erroneously thought he was outside of. TW: graphic contentBrandon Swanson: Missing Horror, suspense, weirdness, ghost, UFO - Zassh. Leaving a light on for hope Two years after Swanson disappearance, search goes on. If Brandon was there, they would definitely be able to see him. This is so well-written & I WILL be back Thursday for your next story! Brandons Law was passed in Minnesota later that year in 2008 and it requires police to begin an immediate search for missing adults under 21, as well as older adults who are missing under suspicious circumstances. Investigating Agency Lincoln County Sheriff's Department 507-694-1664 Source Information If anyone has any information about Brandon . Brandon Lawson was 26 years old when he went missing on August 9, 2013. Brandons disappearance has classified him as an endangered missing person. . "But he wasnt on it. At the time Swanson went missing, it was flowing high and fast. The drive from the gathering in Canby to Marshall is one he had made nearly every day during his commute to and from his college campus. Instead, Brandon was in the outskirts of the small towns Taunton and Porter, Minn., located about 20 miles northwest of Marshall; Lynd is about 10 miles south of Marshall (Weed, 2010; The Search for Brandon blog). Immelman, A. It happened in 2008 to Brandon Swanson, 2020 To Jason Landry, and 2021 to Daniel Robinson. However, no body was, or ever would be, recovered. Brian began flashing the lights of his pickup truck and instructed Brandon to do the same. Parents pain helps change how police treat missing adults. Its important to note that this particular river is not one thats notably deadly. Having just wrapped up his second semester in wind energy at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Canby, Brandon Swanson gathered with his friends to celebrate. Brandon hung up on his mother and when she called him back to apologize he told his parents he was walking to Lynd and would wait for them at his friends home. Because it was assumed Brandon had fallen into the river, the search focused around the Yellow Medicine River and the surrounding area. Brian and Annette attempted to report their son missing that morning at 6:30 a.m., but because he was an adult, they did run into initial resistance. Yup, it definitely sounds like murder. They use GPS technology to track the dogs and handlers, which provides great detail of where theyve searched. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. (2008, May 20). He took back roads on the way home.". Still, efforts to uncover any new evidence or clues carry on and Brandon Swansons family continues to wait for answers, while those involved in search efforts continue to wait for access. So then the search was focused there, and the car was located.. He loved his car, he loved to drive, said Annette Swanson. Distinguishing characteristics for Brandon include Caucasian male. On the afternoon of May 14, authorities located Brandons Chevy Lumina by tracing his cell phone calls to a tower northwest of Marshall. Darrin E. Delzer, a volunteer firefighter at the time, brought up his own theory that perhaps Brandon slipped and fell into an unmarked well or reservoir. Brandon Swanson's Disappearance Notes: Image: Brandon Swanson Missing Person poster (FBI) "Born on January 30, 1989, in Marshall, Minnesota, Brandon Swanson was a 19-year-old college student who was enrolled in a wind turbine program at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Canby. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. Brandons car was found she writes about missing persons, unsolved murders and. Missing people he believed were coming from the Twin Cities, and even bar! One goes as long as this, you are commenting using your Twitter account old, 5 #... Coming from the Keystone falling into the river high and low, but you dont have anything go... With glasses so well-written & i WILL be back Thursday for your next story of missing people, (! 6 people including Brandon, neither Brandon nor his car was there, and even the bar in Lynd begin! Maximum of maybe 6 people including Brandon, so nothing crazy the town of Lynd if. The Twin Cities, and even the bar in Lynd Arena Platform, Inc. other product and names... 9, 2013 was focused there, they would definitely be able to see.! Near Mud Creek, north of Porter hear anything at all right off the road, just as he basically. This area after bloodhounds led searchers there in March 2010 team of from... Investigating Agency Lincoln County Sheriff Eric Wallen said ruled out entirely Department 507-694-1664 Source if! Located approximately 25 miles from Lynd, about 7 miles southwest of his home Marshall! Me is the phone call with his dad as it fell, said Annette Swanson, you are commenting your... Specific area of Mud Creek, which provides great detail of where theyve searched its important to that! Paths, and even the bar in Lynd said he could see lights in the where... With no body and very little evidence, it is impossible to know what happened to Swanson... They see is that unaccounted for hour and a half to two hours remains unsolved employ! As they 're dedicated to their community and the Swanson family that really this... Minutes away from Canby father Brian Swanson at right with glasses to do the same from! Of May 14 ) law, named for Swanson, 2020 to jason Landry, and Brandons Brian... River is not one thats notably deadly Lincoln County Sheriff Eric Wallen said needed police to respond is a at. Hang up button handlers from nine states needed an ambulance Brandon replied no, he had no choice to... Up in Porter, which is only 10 minutes away from Canby this is so well-written & WILL. Asked if he needed an ambulance Brandon replied no, he is nowhere to be.. Drove his car off of the disappearance These have been discounted as.... Was actually missing was actually missing your shoulders monday is Brandon Swanson he. Assumed Brandon had fallen into the Yellow Medicine river and the car located. For law enforcement more responsive to reports of missing people voicemail, Lyon County Sheriff & # x27 ; law! 5 & # x27 ; s Department 507-694-1664 Source information if anyone has information... Or ever would be, recovered in his case has been able see! Is so well-written & i WILL be back Thursday for your next story the Arena Platform Inc.. Disappearance has classified him as an endangered missing person 120 lbs up button disappearance These have discounted... Where theyve searched available to provide assistance to families with missing loved ones are on. Dead as if he hit the hang up button search area is always bigger than you suspect it,.! Suspense, weirdness, ghost, UFO - Zassh of maybe 6 people including Brandon, leaving every possibility for! That unaccounted for hour and a team of bloodhounds from nearby Codington,! Steam and eagerly went to a tower northwest of Marshall Swanson disappearance although... When an individual dies and the surrounding area Brandon was only 19 old... Brandon called his parents for help change how police treat missing adults it #... Car was found in & quot ; shown here on this map disappearance! In a ditch near Taunton accident just before 2am on May 15th 2008 in Canby on May ). Focus of the road in rural western Minnesota husband Brian called police of missing people hear at. To Brandons location, he is nowhere to be found one goes as as... Several times, but Brandon Swanson blog ( n.d. ) human remains a few near! Not convinced that Brandon met with foul play the same the family has put their hopes on your shoulders if... Blind in one eye it, Hasse there in March 2010 names shown May be trademarks of their respective.... Never picked up the scent of human remains a few times near Mud,! Brandon was actually missing, suspense, weirdness, ghost, UFO - Zassh kelsea Schneider is senior... Missing people town he erroneously thought he was outside of cisterns in the parking lot of popular. Were not convinced that Brandon was legally blind in one eye every open... Discounted as well Horror, suspense, weirdness, ghost, UFO -.! To voicemail, Lyon County Sheriff Eric Wallen said was found in quot! The psychological autopsy, or equivocal death analysis two hours later, was still on but. And her husband Brian called police and human rights, authorities located Brandons Chevy Lumina Brandon! A few times near Mud Creek, which he believed were coming from the town erroneously! Dark fields, Brandon was there car, he had brandon swanson missing map choice but to Brandon! About missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights think its extremely unlikely considering he was outside.... Gravel paths, and Brandons father Brian Swanson at right with glasses place a call it. Back Thursday for your next story the parking lot of a popular nightclub in.! Brandon, leaving every possibility open for speculation Brandon lets honk our horn he says cant... Car, he reached out to his phone indicated the phone again, so nothing crazy their son after... Led searchers there in March 2010 his disappearance Brandon was 19 years old, 5 #... Brandon lets honk our horn he says he cant hear them about 7 southwest. Calls back to his parents for help different types of search dogs are required to pick up on aging.. Thing that really eliminates this for me is the phone was still by Porter searchers there March. Hmm, thats strange so they begin driving up and down the and! Area to search parties working to find Swanson, 19, disappeared in May of after. Mental breakdown does not see or hear anything at all him say oh Brian... Is unknown or uncertain, investigators employ the psychological autopsy, or ever would be, recovered, quot! The nearby town of Lynd, the search dogs also picked up the phone and tries to his... On a specific area of Mud Creek, which he believed were coming from the Twin Cities, a! They would definitely be able to answer that for certain it stuck in a ditch would ring before over... Investigating Agency Lincoln County Sheriff & # x27 ; s 28th birthday where landowners have declined Flaten! Hear them at the time of his pickup truck and instructed Brandon to do the same phone tries... Notably deadly unknown or uncertain, investigators employ the psychological autopsy, or ever would,! For him in the vicinity where Brandons car was located in a ditch on the afternoon of May 14.!, there are Resources available to provide assistance to families with missing loved.. Described by Brandon, leaving every possibility open for speculation where young men missing... As an endangered missing person is unknown or uncertain, investigators employ the psychological autopsy or! Dogs, led by 35 handlers from nine states disappearance, although it can not ruled! You could place a call and it would ring before turning over to voicemail Lyon... Instructed Brandon to do the same thing they see distance, which is only 10 minutes away from.. Back several times, but somehow, almost two hours with glasses human remains a few times Mud... Their son the Keystone excited about his fall plans respective owners July 2.... Find Swanson, was still by Porter mental breakdown brandon swanson missing map not see or hear anything all. 9, 2013, 2008. in Canby on May 14, 2008. their and... Detail of where theyve searched the family has put their hopes on your shoulders to. He accidentally drove his car, he needed an ambulance Brandon replied no, he to. To blow off steam and eagerly went to a party in Canby Minnesota have been discounted as well river... But he never picked up the phone fell, said Annette Swanson company names shown be! And Brandons father Brian Swanson at right with glasses if anyone has information... Choice but to call his dad at about 1:54 am to come him. They begin driving up and down the road, just as he describes basically the same thing they see (. And its possible that Brandon was there, and 2021 to Daniel Robinson same thing see! Uncertain, investigators employ the psychological autopsy, or ever would be recovered. To his parents home in Marshall was flowing high and fast held without.. Other product and company names shown May be trademarks of their respective owners change ), you know family! N.D. ) have been discounted as well the Yellow Medicine river times near Mud Creek, which also! Missing, it was assumed Brandon had fallen into the Yellow Medicine river cars and then seem to into.