The variations are as follows: He passed out on a farm and was found by the farmer who disposed of him discreetly. First off thank you for having a map showing exactly where his car was found. A college student vanished after having a minor car accident and was on the phone with his parents at the moment he went missing. Though authorities claim that they didn't think he was intoxicated, I have a feeling that the party goers were being tight lipped for a reason. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. The people on that list are suspected to be involved in foul play. Likewise, if Swanson had fallen into the river, managed to climb back onto dry land, and eventually succumbed to hypothermia, a cadaver dog would also likely have picked up his scent. The Main Theories I've been researching the disappearance of 19 year old Brandon Swanson for a while now and these are the top few theories I've encountered. His father said it sounded like Brandon slipped and fell. Driving down the gravel road and/or not seeing the white line. Whatever his reasons, he soon got into trouble. When Did The Civil War End? Prayers for his family. I read through the comments and nobody else seemed to catch it. Several of us learned when trying to find something that he remembered that we should listen to what he thought he remembered and then go in the opposite direction. As explained by Minnesota's Unsolved Cases, it is possible that the teen left the area on his own and is now living under a new identity. Were flashing our lights! His response to her was, Dont you see me? They never saw him. Brandon is known to be a very independent person and may not feel comfortable staying at home after having run away from treatment in the past. He was last seen at a party at a friends house in Billerica. Dont you see me? Swanson asked, as both he and his parents flashed their car headlights to signify their presence, CNN reported. [3] But as a mother I cant imagine not knowing what happened to my son and hope that one day Brandons loved ones can get some kind of closure. This truly is a sad event and could have been avoided if he would have calmed down and remained patient and stayed with his car until daybreak or until his parents or LE figured out where he really was. Thanks for reading and for sharing your insights. However, it is not likely. As you can see the trail continues on the other side. Well also provide a brief overview of some of the most popular AI software applications that can be used for content planning and editorial work. I agree that its likely Brandon wandered off, tragically died, and was never found. Was that in the news or on a website? The temperature that night was 40F which combined with the freezing cold river could have led to hyperthermia. According to Brandon's. Another theory is that Brandon committed suicide. He was interested in studying wind, We publish inspiring stories about different topics for a productive and entertaining life. Easy for him to lose his phone out there if he dropped it. Hi Dave Thanks for reading and sharing all of your great insights! This is indeed a confusing and heartbreaking case and everyone has strong theories as to what happened. This might be my new theory for him. On May 13, 2008, 19-year-old Brandon Swanson completed his first year at Minnesota West Community and Technical College. I know that some animals will carry the prey off and bury it away from everything else. I've confused Brandon Lawson and Brandon Swanson with Brandon Stanton, who is the Humans of New York photographer. It's all walking distance. Since part of that circle included Yellow Medicine County to the north, authorities from that jurisdiction also took part. Perhaps they could have missed something? You know, people dont vanish into thin air, Brandon Swansons mother said. This Case Is So Weird, I Feel Like When He Had The Additional Shot, Then Left The Party That He Was Driving, But Really Slow And Then Just Curved Off And His Car Got Stuck, He Called His Parents For Help And Told Them That He Was In Lynd, But Actually He Was In Tauton, So His Parents Couldnt Find Him, He Probably Got Out OF His Car And Walked Until He Fell Into The River, He Mustve Got Out And Walked All The Way To Porter Minnesota. Brandon Swanson. Finding someone on the road is easier than finding someone who is in any kind of natural area. It's a puzzling case for many reasons. Are they trained to just smell cadavers? -When he realized the parents can't find him, why he didn't look the street signs and tell them the street names? Maybe Brandon stumbled upon something he shouldn't have. Like you, I believe it was a tragic accident and that he likely fell into a body of water. There were open field surrounded him where his body could of easily been spotted. If this is what happened hopefully one day the truth will come out. I like to complain about young people and their dependence on GPS. As reported by The True Crime Files, the search dogs led their handlers to the edge of Yellow Medicine River, which caused authorities to conclude that Swanson likely fell into the water. Brandon Swansons disappearance mystery has now not been resolved after 13 years of his disappearance. I hope Jasons family finds answers soon. Thought he was by Ghent on that county road 8 but instead county road 8 in Lincoln County. Brian believes his son may have slipped and fallen. This week in particular was the bulk of corn planting and weeks later than it should be because the weather was rough however that specific night was the coldest day of the week so I doubt the likelihood that any farmers working late picked that night. In response to an article by Angelo Marcos, Delzer said Swanson was legally blind in his left eye, and always wore glasses. Its so weird his cellphone turned off before the crash. I agree that he will be found in the area they have not been able to search. If course, a lot of teenagers smoke pot and this doesn't really prove anything, but it at least somewhat helps support the theory. Its also possible that he went off the grid, as he has done in the past, and is now missing for an unknown reason. He drove further down the dirt road looking for a turnaround found the field entry where he got high centered, and stuck and then started calling friends. From where his car was found to Lynd seems to be (by glancing at the map), a LONG ways away, even for walking for an hour! Brian stated, there has been not anything after that. Brian thinks his son can also have slid and fallen. The focus of the search moved to this area after bloodhounds led searchers there in March 2010. Swanson wears black wire-framed eyeglasses. -the dog followed his smell to the road, right? As the river was searched, and Brandon Swanson's body was never found, authorities believe he made it back out of the water and continued walking. Edit: To whoever gave me gold on my first post, thank you so much!! I have seen many argue that in order to be on VICAP - the person had to be the victim of foul play but I have never heard Brandon's parents say they thought he was the victim of anything other than a Sheriff's department who dismissed their initial calls as "boys will be boys" and "he's over 18 - we don't have to go look for him until we're sure he's missing". He was not hurt and asked them to come to where he was and pick him up. If he went to Porter, he may have gone to his friend's house, or where the party was that night. En route, he crashed into a ditch. No personal property or clothing belonging to Swanson was discovered on the route to the river, or alongside the two-mile stretch of the river in the area, which takes roughly six hours to walk. Along the way, he walked on gravel roads, saw two fence lines, and heard running water. I grew up on a farm and I would feel sorry for any person who turned onto our farm roads trying to get somewhere else. I think it's reasonable to assume that he either had had more alcohol than people were aware, and my next thought last night was, I wonder if there were drugs of some sort involved - either knowingly or unknowlingly. The information about the car doors open was found published by the FBI. However, search dogs followed his scent to the rivers edge, but continued walking on. There were many fields surrounding the river he could have collapsed in but how was his body never found? Despite this been the most logical answer at first glance, the pieces just don't seem to fit into place with ease no matter how you flip it since there were no remains found in the river or nearby. The dogs indicated that Brandon did fall into the river, but quickly got back and continued along the eastern side of the river. "Technology was emerging then, so there were discussions about privacy and when can they ping you and when can't they. Brandon Swanson said he could see lights in the distance, which he believed were coming from the town of Lynd. It is not specified what type. The car was stuck in a ditch off of Lyon Lincoln Road, between Porter and Taunton, but officers found no sign of foul play or Swanson. She ended up using the GPS on my phone to get directions and wrote the directions for herself so she could continue. Even years later, there are still no answers regarding what happened to Brandon Swanson, though theories abound. If you add up information about the call, the search dog tracks, the path of travel, the lay of the land, and the time of day and season of the year, it all paints a pretty compelling picture - that Brandon passed out in a field and was run over by a farm vehicle, and his death was covered up afterwards. I think he saw someone that he knew (and was afraid of) dropped the phone, and ran. Volunteer firefighter Darrin E. Delzer said he has another theory about what happened to Swanson, based on several things he noted about the case. Hi Jim. Minnesota's Unsolved reports that if the phone were submerged in water, all of the calls would have gone directly to voicemail. Some other idea explains Brandon Swanson can also have planned his very own disappearance. The hit and run scenario is definitely a possibility. The search dogs also mentioned there had been human body elements near dust Creek, north of Porter. He tried walking to the town he lived in. To better focus the search, the sheriff's office obtained Brandon's cell phone records, which revealed that Brandon had been calling from the vicinity of Taunton, along State Highway 68, the main route to Canby, northwest of Marshall25 miles (40km) from Lynd. Thanks for reading and for taking the time to comment. I have no idea why he wouldnt take them if he was willingly leaving the area. The 19-year-old was driving home on a night in 2008 when he crashed his car into a ditch. the gap must have taken about 30 minutes. His final words to his parents on the phone were a chilling, Oh st!. I wonder if someone who worked or lived on the farm shot him thinking he was there to steal something. GINA for missing persons foundationA Brandon Swanson missing poster. . If the farm worker operating the machinery is undocumented (or even if he isn't) it's easy to see why they would hide the body rather than have to explain the accident. He called his parents asking for help, and they set out in their pickup truck to find him. What do you think? When they arrived at the location Brandon gave, they could not find him. On July 1, 2009, a bill called Brandons Law passed in Minnesota. Hi. Book Author Jenn is a lawyer-turned-author and true crime writer. The canine unit led officers roughly three miles away from the ditch to the Yellow Medicine River, which was flowing high and fast, before losing Swansons scent. Great point! Established by Brian and Annette Swanson and sponsored by House Minority Leader Marty Seifert (R-Marshall) and Senator Dennis Frederickson (R-New Ulm), Brandon's Law was signed by Minnesota's Governor Tim Pawlenty on May 7, 2009. One is that he didnt have a good sense of direction and was lost as a result. Those who study these kinds of tragedies say that leaving ones vehicle is usually a bad move. [10], The effect of the change also required that police, in addition to determining in their preliminary investigation that the reported person is indeed missing, determine whether that person is potentially in dangerous circumstances. Listen now! A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. However, nobody answered his calls. [2], In 2010, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension took over as lead agency on the case. Police told them to wait a while because it wasnt unheard of for young males to go off the grid for a bit. You dont have to be speeding to hit someone and leave. And you make a good point that some evidence of the accident might be left behind. Brandon Lawson was 26 years old when he went missing on August 9, 2013. Swanson left Canby sometime after midnight to drive home, a trip he made practically every day as part of his commute to and from school. Thank you for sharing that! An age-progression image of Brandon Swanson (Image courtesy of the Lincoln . He could also overhear water flowing in the distance. I think his parents said the phone rang afterwards so definitely not in water. [3], Searching in that area, deputies discovered Brandon's abandoned car in a ditch off a gravel road along the Lincoln County line a mile north of Highway 68, bringing the office of that county's sheriff, Jack Vizecky, into the investigation as well. however, while Brian and Annette Swanson reached their sons referred region, they couldnt see him or his automobile. In line with eyewitness statements, there had been liquids at the celebration, and Swanson had at least one shot of whiskey. When he was only 19, he was a student at Minnesota West Community and Technical College, and, on May 14, 2008, he was driving home from a party celebrating the end of the Spring semester. I really want to apologize for this being extremely long and redundant, but I find this case incredibly interesting and I think some of those facts can contribute to an interesting discussion. Nor did he see them do the same. Also forgot the theory that he purposefully went missing but this seems highly unlikely. Since this is a guest post, we didnt research this case so dont know much about it beyond whats in the article. A search was launched involving hundreds of people and trained dogs, which would go on for around 4 months meticulously going through a 100 square mile area without finding the missing man or even any trace whatsoever of where he had gone. I feel terrible for Brandon and cant even imagine how scared and lost he must have been. But I guess that depends what route he took on the back roads. Authorities said Swanson could be anywhere within a 122-square-mile area. Just before 2 a.m., he called his parents on his cell phone, telling them he had driven his Chevrolet Lumina off the road and into a ditch from which he could not remove the car. In the 80s, a friend and I came out of cave at night and became lost getting back to my car. And why he assist to walk through the highway, farms or whatever, late and pitch black. I had another friend with a similar problem. [2] Efforts picked up again in the spring, after snow melted but before planting; a cycle that continued through 2011. . He remains missing. I honestly do not think foul play was involved although Marshall was the center of some racial tension in the early 2000s between immigrant workers and locals who had grown up there. Inside The Complicated History Of The Conflict's Conclusion, Gary Francis Poste, The Violent Air Force Veteran Some Suspect Was The Notorious Zodiac Killer, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, Brandon Swanson disappeared in the early hours of May 14, 2008. As reported by The True Crime Files, Swanson planned to take a shortcut through some fields, as opposed to staying on the main road. Seifert left the legislature in 2010, but he still has the pen Pawlenty used to sign the bill into law. He wouldve been much smarter to simply drive home very carefully observing the speed limit the short distance to his home on the main highway. It may be a badly written up police document. At some stage in the call, he informed his father he exceeded a few fences and gravel roads. Authorities began their official search for Swanson shortly before noon. I've been a lurker for several years, pretty adamant about staying that way, but I've discovered some little known details about this case and I simply can't keep them to myself. [3] Brian Swanson also recalls that, any alcohol his son had consumed earlier in the evening notwithstanding, he did not seem disoriented or confused during their phone conversations. Investigating Agency Lincoln County Sheriff's Department 507-694-1664 Source Information As for the open doors, people use the term open to mean unlocked. We empower millions of people the world over to enhance their knowledge about celebrities people life style and net worth with our smart content. A lot of theories have been proposed as to what became of Brandon, such as that he . Police told them to wait a while because it wasnt unheard offor young males to go off the grid for a bit. Instant classic. At the time of his disappearance Brandon was 19 years old, 5'6" and 120 lbs. Swanson, 19, disappeared in May of 2008 after running his car off the road in rural western Minnesota. Wikimedia CommonsBrandon Swanson disappeared in the early hours of May 14, 2008. He was last seen wearing a green Nike shirt, black Nike shorts, and white running shoes. The state provides them every year at rest stops, and I pick up a few to have. You would have to know the farm roads like the back of your hand to get home using them, and I doubt that Brandon had ever driven on those farm roads before. The True Crime Garage is how I came to hear about this. He thought that it was possible that the red light Brandon had seen had led him to believe Lynd was within walking distance. The daddy, Brian, stated he changed into on the decision together with his son at the same time as he was on foot. Thanks for reading and for taking the time to share your thoughts. [3], Brandon finally gave up and told them he was leaving the car to walk toward lights he could see that led him to believe he was near Lynd, a small town roughly 7 miles (11km) southwest of Marshall. Another theory suggests Brandon Swanson may have orchestrated his own disappearance. Delzer suggested the teen may have fallen into an unmarked cistern or well, which are not uncommon in rural areas. The disappearances of Brandon Swanson & Dan Zamlen from Minnesota are presented. The I dont know why Im not where I said I am but Ill walk to another location is not a good reason. Does anyone know how fast the water was by the fence line was? It would take a lot to separate me from its shelter. He didn't have his glasses and is legally blind. However, he turned into now not completely certain of his region. However, Dahl ruled out a more organized, extensive ground search. The general consensus seems to be that, following the fateful "Oh shit!" 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