Numerous searches have been conducted of the area and bodies of water surrounding the location where Brandon's car was found. He can see its lights in the distance, so it should not be too far of a walk. He tells his parents that he does not see or hear anything at all. They use GPS technology to track the dogs and handlers, which provides great detail of where theyve searched. When Brian and Annette arrived at the location described by Brandon, neither Brandon nor his car was there. Wanting to spare other families from having to deal with this, and also knowing how crucial it is in a missing persons case to start investigating as soon as possible, they lobbied for the passing of what would become known as Brandons Law, which would require law enforcement to immediately begin a preliminary investigation when an adult goes missing under dangerous circumstances, regardless of their age. It was a completely straight shot down the highway that connected Canby and Marshall, State Highway 68. Rosenblum, G. (2009, July 2). The river's depth ranges from knee high in certain areas to 15 feet in others. The Jacob Wetterling case came to a sad conclusion this past November with the sentencing of his killer 27 years after Jacob was abducted. "The Mysterious Disappearance Of Minnesota College Student Brandon Swanson,". Brandon was only 19 years old when he went missing. 00:00. It is important to note is that, due to an eye injury he suffered as a child, Swanson was legally blind in his left eye, leading him to have depth perception issues, and had to wear glasses. Monday is Brandon Swansons 28th birthday. Last updated February 13, 2023. The dogs were unable to pick his trail back up on the other side. We see that you have javascript disabled. It was around 2am when he called his parents on his cell phone, telling them that he had driven his Chevy Lumina off the road and into a ditch near the town of Lynd, Minnesota. Naturally curly Brown hair, blue eyes. This is a trip that he made practically daily, considering he would drive from Marshall to Canby and back for classes all the time. He lived with his sister, who cared for him (a job that included moving him around the house, to the toilet, outside for fresh air, etc). Monday is Brandon Swanson's 28th birthday. While alcohol was being consumed at the gatherings, his friends indicated to law enforcement that he did not appear to be intoxicated when he left the party. On the night of 14 May 2008, after celebrating the last day of college classes with a friend, he was driving home along a gravel road, and somehow crashed his car into a ditch. Queen of Swords - 9 of pentacles - Star (reversed) Card pulled of the Queen of Swords: Page of Wands (reversed) Row Two. On April 15, 2005, Centre County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney Ray Gricar went out for a drive and was never seen again. (LogOut/ That doesnt mean that the tips arent redundant, or that they come from a different person, but include the same information that weve previously received, he said. Now if youre anything like me, your mind immediately went to something like alternate reality, parallel dimension, or some other weird supernatural time loop occurrence. 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. The Record. "The Disappearance of Brandon Swanson," Youtuber, Dining With Death, October 20th, 2022, "Disappearance of Brandon Swanson," Wikipedia, "The Mysterious Disappearance Of Minnesota College Student Brandon Swanson," Neil Patmore, ati, November 25, 2022, "The Disappearance of Brandon Swanson," Christine, The True Crime Files, March 13, 2019. It was either false or the information wasnt accurate they all seem to run into a dead end.. What is it and how did it come to be? On May 14, 2008 Brandon Swanson, age 19, drove towards Marshall, Minnesota. Theres also a lot of debate in the research I found online about what that particular type of hang up and how the calls that came after it were received could mean about the phone. Cloud Times. Brandon Swanson vanished from his vehicle after a small accident just before 2am on May 14, 2008 near Canby, MN. We only need one.". A long stretch of road, and big open fields. Shortly after midnight on May 14 Brandon left Lynd to head back to his parents home in Marshall, where he lived. Johns University in St. Joseph, Minnesota. I dont know. Gravel rural roads are not illuminated with street lights and visibility is poor. He and his wife began calling Brandons friends, who also rushed to the area to search for him in the dark night. Leaving a light on for hope Two years after Swanson disappearance, search goes on. Brandon Lawson was 26 years old when he went missing on August 9, 2013. 39 Carlos Santana Pit. Multiple theories have been brought forward over the years to try and explained what happened that night. 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. And the law makes it clear who has jurisdiction. 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. Brandon Swanson was 19 years old when he went missing in the state of Minnesota. He remains missing. Aside from the fact that Brandon was relatively sober, this was also a very familiar drive for him. While none have, at this point, led investigators to his whereabouts or remains, they keep the case from going cold. His body would have been discovered in the wide, open fields. "And when one goes as long as this, you know the family has put their hopes on your shoulders. Around 10:30 pm, he left the gathering to drive to Canby, which is 30 miles away . Theyve performed 1,900 K-9 missions, using 45 highly-trained dogs, led by 35 handlers from nine states. The professional search manager on the case, Jeff Hasse, who writes the blog titled The Search for Brandon Swanson, updates the blog with information on the search and believes Brandons remains will be found in time. Another odd detail: although the call continued on for a bit after Swanson had abruptly stopped speaking, they heard nothing at all, which might shed light on what had alarmed their son. Leaving the car and navigating dark fields, Brandon called his parents for help. Annette Swanson smiles when she looks at pictures of her son Brandon. So we are really confident that hes somewhere in this watershed. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children works to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization. Despite the fact that he had been drinking that night, his parents were adamant that he seemed perfectly lucid during their phone call. The law requires Minnesota police to begin an immediate search for missing adults under 21, as well as older adults who are missing under suspicious circumstances. Photo courtesy of The Search for Brandon Swanson. Additionally, there are many unmarked cisterns in the area and its possible that he could have fallen into one of them. Swanson's case remains unsolved. Days of looking turned into weeks, then months and now years. He wasnt hurt, and there wasnt any damage to the car- everything was going to be fine, he just needed a little help to get it back on the road. "The search area is always bigger than you suspect it, Hasse. 19-year-old Jason Jolkowski went missing during a half-mile walk to the nearby high school on June 13, 2001. Im so sussed out that mans was so close to Porter after traveling for like 2 hours very intriguing. To know you were running away to start a secret new life and to keep your dad on the phone for an hour while you fake your incident seems. So he did what I think most 19 year olds on their way home would do- he called his friends!! I can say that his phone was functioning into the next day. Unfortunately, no one has been able to answer that for certain. There are no known personal, economic, or social motives that plausibly may have driven someone to murder Brandon; however, there are individuals who murder strangers because of a deep-seated usually sexual fantasy. Divine, M. (2010, May 14). 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. Someone had to have picked him up or hidden him. Be the Voice for the missing!! While remaining on the phone with their son, Brian Swanson and Annette Swanson headed out to locate him near Lynd, Minn., where Brandon Swanson believed he was stranded. Numerous searches have been conducted of the area and bodies of water surrounding the location where Brandons car was found. Both of his parents state Brandon sounded clear-headed and coherent when they were on the phone with him, and he had no history of mental illness or mental disorder. 36 Joey Votto Cin. Kare 11 News. This would have meant going out on his own for the first time, but he was really excited about the opportunities to further his life and education. His parents believe foul play is involved, and, although unlikely, it is possible an offender happened upon Brandon and sought an opportunity to take him. 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. Brian attempted to call his son back several times but Brandon never answered again (Divine, 2010; Weed, 2010). He left for home at midnight, but somehow, almost two hours later, was still by Porter. The temperature at the time of his disappearance was 46 F, or 8 degrees Celsius, and dropped to 39 F, or 4 degrees Celsius. He was returning from a party when he crashed his car in a ditch and called his parents for help. I also think its extremely unlikely considering he was excited about his fall plans. Brian and Annette Swanson reported their son missing the next morning. At around 2:30am, Brandon suddenly yelped oh shit! and the phone disconnected. While the search in and around Lynd continued, police were able to obtain Brandons cell phone records. At around 2 a.m. on the morning of May 14th, Swanson called his parents . Brandon Swanson. They later reported that Brandon seemed certain of his whereabouts and did not seem too disoriented (Divine, 2010; Weed, 2010). Perhaps this is why he misunderstood where he was, why he ended up in the wrong area, how he drifted gently off the road. En route, he crashed into a ditch. A hastily abandoned vehicle, a 911 call placed by a panic-stricken man, and a disappearance spanning 6.5 years. Though Brandon was barely 19 years old, the police response did not match the alarm his family and friends felt. 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. His phone call pinged off of a tower near Taunton, another small town 25 miles away from Lynd along State Highway 68, the main road that connects Canby to Marshall. The most popular theory among authorities is that Brandon fell into the river. Brandons phone went immediately dead as if he hit the hang up button. Interestingly, they also picked up Swansons scent on a piece of farm equipment nearby, but the farmer to whom it belonged denied the request of the authorities to search his property. The vehicle simply looked like it was stuck in the ditch, or partially in the ditch, He said. He has not been seen or heard from since this incident. Ok Brandon lets honk our horn He says he cant hear them. They see darkness. Brandons full name is Brandon Victor Swanson. Missing in Massachusetts: The Case of Neo Maximus AKA Charlie Allen Jr. Distinguishing characteristics for Brandon include Caucasian male. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. ? Brandon doesnt see any lights. 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. He loved his car, he loved to drive, said Annette Swanson. Now, geographically speaking it makes perfect sense that Brandon and his car would be in Taunton. And why did he believe himself to be near Lynd? However, once they arrive to Brandons location, he is nowhere to be found. (Photo: The Search for Brandon Swanson blog). Search dogs were brought in from the Twin Cities, and a team of bloodhounds from nearby Codington County, South Dakota were utilized. He was last seen in Marshall, MN, on May 14, 2008. The spring semester had just come to an end and on the night of May 13th, 2008, Swanson attended two different parties to celebrate. That is near freezing, and indeed, anyone soaked through the bone by having fallen into the river would have suffered from . "But he wasnt on it. The initial search for Brandon Swanson included trained search dogs, hundreds of volunteers and air surveillance. 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. They start honking their horn and flashing the headlights on their truck but to no avail. Forty-seven minutes into the call, Swanson suddenly exclaimed: Oh, shit! Then there was silence. This particular night however was May 13th 2008 and it was the LAST day of classes at Minnesota West, meaning that Brandon was officially DONE with his certificate program. At the time of his disappearance Brandon was 19 years old, 56 and 120 lbs. We also need to remember that underage drinkers lie about what substances and how much theyve consumed, and theyre also not the most trustworthy judges to tell how impaired someone is. They searched the river high and low, but still, no sign of Brandon. Brandon started walking. Unable to move his vehicle, he reached out to his parents for help. February 17, 2022. Brandon Swanson was 19 years old when he went missing from rural roads near Marshall, Minn. in the early hours of May 14, 2008. You can find out more information about the Jacob Wetterling Resources Center here. No physical evidence in his case has been uncovered. 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. 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. They called out to him and heard nothing. Brandons disappearance has classified him as an endangered missing person. It got down to 39 degrees.". The search for Brandon Swanson blog (n.d.). The law is named after Brandon Swanson, whose car got stuck in a ditch near Taunton along the Lincoln and Lyon county line in southwest Minnesota on May 14, 2008. That much I can say.. With no body and very little evidence, it is impossible to know what happened to Brandon, leaving every possibility open for speculation. What does not make sense to me is how Brandon could have suspected he was near Lynd, if he were driving Canby to Marshall, as Lynd is 7 miles BEYOND his home in Marshall, a further drive. One popular theory is that he was the victim of a hit and run and someone hid his body. It's believed he died of exposure. Firstly, Brandon was legally blind in one eye. So then the search was focused there, and the car was located.. Do you part share the flyers, help a missing person find their way Home!! (LogOut/ Another possibility is that this could be a case of vehicular homicide. With the search area located among plenty of farmland, Emergency Support Services has worked diligently with farmers to create an access schedule that works around the shifting planting and harvest seasons. 5 talking about this. Distinguishing characteristics for Brandon include Caucasian male. This theory has been widely criticized, however, due to the fact that there is simply no evidence to suggest he died of hypothermia. He disappeared while driving home after spending the night with friends celebrating the end of spring semester classes. At this occasion, Brandons friends report that the alcohol was flowing a little bit more, and that they remember Brandon having one or maybe two drinks. Photo. Another mysterious detail is the length of Brandons trip that night. It's a puzzling case for many reasons. Swanson, 19, disappeared in May of 2008 after running his car off the road in rural western Minnesota. Disappearance of Brandon Swanson. The present search is now focusing on another body of water in the area, Mud Creek. Although foul play has never been ruled out in this case, it was just under 40 degrees that night, so it's possible Brandon succumbed to the elements, especially if he had already fallen into the rivera very real possibility as well. 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. Weed, A. ", "Its a straight shot down Highway 68, said Search Manager Jeff Hasse with Midwest Technical Rescue Training. It has also been postulated that Brandon may have sought shelter in a farmers outbuilding and perished there. It had a violent crime rate of less than half the average. Rural roads of Minnesota remain last known location of 19-year-old Brandon Swanson. His parents lobbied for change due to the delayed response time from police, causing a new law in Brandons name to be written, requiring law enforcement to respond to a missing persons report immediately, regardless of the persons age. The case of Brandon Victor Swanson is one of them. And where did he go?? Lets look at the main theories: Brandon staged his own disappearance to run away and start a new life-. Instead, it is believed he fell into the river, causing him to shout that expletive, but got back out and kept walking. If you have any information, please contact: Agency Name: Lincoln County Sheriffs Office, Agency Name: MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He started the night off at a party in Lynd, a small town just seven miles from his native Marshall. Doesnt mean its not possible but mathematically speaking thats a big reduction in likelihood. 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