Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and it is not meant to cause harm to anyone connected with the case. Please do not contact, threaten, harm, malign, or otherwise intimidate those mentioned in the post. Please do not release any personal information of the people mentioned in this post, and do not join in attacks conducted by others. Per U.S. law, every person directly or indirectly connected with this case is innocent until proven guilty.

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About Brandon

Brandon Swanson was born on January 30, 1989, to his parents, Brian and Annette. Growing up, he was the oldest of two children, and he was described as intelligent and funny. He was also an avid reader, performed well academically, and was close with his family. His loved ones have said that he was always willing to help his parents and look out for his younger sister, and he was a responsible, dependable kid.

Image Courtesy of The Charley Project

As he grew up, he witnessed the rise of new technology and developed an interest in computers and video games. Once he became a teenager, he developed an interest in science. He was curious about the world around him, and he wanted to learn about how everything worked. He had a high aptitude for learning, often choosing to research new topics instead of watching TV or playing video games.

At the time of his disappearance, he was enrolled as a first-year student at the Minnesota West Community and Technical College. While there, he began his studies in wind turbines, where he excelled. His planned to transfer in the fall to Iowa Western Community College and major in science. By May 2008, he had completed his first year of college.

Disappearance

On the night of May 13, 2008, Brandon decided to celebrate the end of his first year by going to two different parties. The first gathering was in Lynd, Minnesota, about seven miles southwest of his home. This gathering had about 5-6 individuals present, and it was described as a low-key event where Brandon had a lot of fun. Reports about this night are contradictory, as some say he had at least one alcoholic beverage while others say he didn’t drink at all.

Image Courtesy of The Charley Project

Between 10:30-11:00 PM, Brandon left the party in Lynd and made his way to a party in Canby, which was about 35 miles northwest of his home. He was reportedly heading there to hang out with a friend who would be heading elsewhere for school, and he wanted to say goodbye. There were other guests at this event, but the exact number is unknown. Although Brandon had at least one shot of whiskey at this party, he didn’t appear intoxicated. He left this party around midnight.

Brandon had driven from Canby to Marshall multiple times to attend classes, as he was living at home. Instead of taking Minnesota State Highway 68 (the main road between Marshall and Canby), he opted to take the back roads. These gravel roads ran past farmland, and they were difficult to travel, especially in the middle of the night. He attempted to turn onto a gravel road, but he veered off the road and got stuck in a ditch at approximately 1:15 AM. He was uninjured, but his car was stuck, and he couldn’t free it.

Unsure of what else to do, Brandon called several friends, but no one picked up.

When that didn’t work, he called his parents around 2:00 AM, explaining that he needed help. He assured them that while he and his car were fine, he needed to be picked up. When his parents asked him where he was, he said he thought he was near the city of Lynd, and he believed he could see the city’s lights in the distance. They made a plan to flash the headlights of their respective vehicles to draw attention to their locations. His parents stayed on the line with him as they drove towards Lynd.

Unfortunately, after several attempts, he and his parents failed to locate each other, and tensions began to rise.

Image Courtesy of The Charley Project

Brandon then decided to take a different path through a field in the direction of the lights, and he arranged for his parents to meet him in the parking lot of a popular nightclub in Lynd. He stayed on the phone as he walked. However, walking along the gravel roads was taking too long, so he decided to cut across nearby fields to shorten the journey. He mentioned he could hear water running, and he kept running into fences.

Around 3:10 AM, Brandon yelled, “Oh, shit!” After that, all his parents could hear was silence. Not knowing what had happened, they called out his name, and they waited desperately for him to come back on the line.

As the minutes ticked by, his parents became more worried about him. Unsure what else to do, they hung up and tried to call him again multiple times. They would never get a response.

Brandon’s parents and friends searched along Highway 68, as well as the adjacent gravel roads, throughout the early morning hours. Despite diligent efforts, no one found Brandon, his car, or any of his belongings.

At 6:30 AM, after failing to establish contact with their son, his parents reported him as missing to the local authorities.

Investigation

Despite his parents reporting his disappearance quickly, the authorities didn’t take Brandon’s case seriously at first. They assumed he stayed out late and would eventually make his way home. They even argued that he was an adult and had the right to go missing if he wanted.

While law enforcement didn’t jump into action immediately, they alerted local officers of the disappearance, and his cell phone records were investigated. Through these records, they found he had actually been near a town called Porter, roughly 25 miles away from where he believed he was on the night of his disappearance.

Thanks to these records, they pinned down his last known location and initiated an extensive search. As they searched the area, his car was located in a ditch near Taunton. His car keys and cell phone were missing, but the authorities could not find any signs of foul play. It appeared as though Brandon had either parked his car in that location or it broke down and became stuck.

A later search of the area included hundreds of volunteers, trained dogs, and air surveillance. Volunteers looked for Brandon on land and in the nearby Yellow Medicine River, as some theorized that he could have fallen in and drowned. Search dogs picked up his scent on a nearby trail and followed his scent to the water, but the trail suddenly ended as they traveled north along the riverbank. Dogs also picked up the scent of human remains near Mud Creek, an area north of Porter. However, no evidence was uncovered and Brandon was never located.

Unfortunately, complications arose with further searches. Dogs picked up Brandon’s scent on a nearby piece of farm equipment, but the owner refused to let the authorities search his property. Investigators also found several promising areas that they wanted to search, but they were unable to do so, as they didn’t have permission from the landowners. Because the authorities didn’t have probable cause, they failed to get a warrant. As of this writing, these properties have never been searched. Given their size, the authorities would need many tracking dogs with experience detecting aged scents.

Image Courtesy of The Charley Project

Time began to pass with no new leads or information. Despite the stalled progress, the family pushed through their pain and advocated for change. Annette Swanson helped to write the bill that would later become Brandon’s Law. Under the law, the authorities would have to accept missing person reports and immediately begin searches, regardless of whether it was a child or adult. It also granted jurisdiction to the city or county where the individual is from, not the city or county they disappeared from. Since 2009, Minnesota and four other states have passed Brandon’s Law.

As of 2023, the authorities are still receiving tips about Brandon’s case, although none of them have ever panned out. His case continues to haunt his family and friends. After over 15 years, they long to bring him home and receive answers and justice. As of this writing, the disappearance of Brandon Swanson remains unsolved.

Image Courtesy of The Charley Project

My Thoughts

The disappearance of Brandon Swanson is equal parts mysterious and frustrating. A young man goes out to celebrate the completion of his first year of college. It’s something that thousands of students do every year, except he never returned home. Since then, his loved ones have been left to wonder, “where is Brandon Swanson?”

Brandon might have been found if law enforcement had jumped in and taken immediate action. However, they were slow to initiate their investigation, claiming that he was an adult and could go missing if he wanted to. It’s hard to say what would’ve happened if the authorities took his disappearance seriously from the start, but there’s a higher chance that he would’ve come home by now.

Honestly, there’s quite a bit of information about this case, but there’s very little evidence. Because of this, many have had to rely on theories to try and figure out what happened to Brandon Swanson.

When investigating this case, there are two main theories that people believe about what happened:

1. Brandon became lost/was the victim of an accident.

2. Brandon was the victim of foul play.

Let’s examine these one by one:

First, we have the theory that Brandon became lost and was the victim of an accident. At first glance, this theory seems likely. He was driving on unfamiliar rural roads, and there was very little light out. It would’ve been difficult to avoid hazards, such as rivers, holes in the ground, and wild animals. Add in factors like alcohol and his vision issues, and it makes sense that he could’ve disappeared.

However, authorities and volunteers thoroughly searched the area, and they never found a trace of him. Even today, the authorities have still not found any evidence of him. Many believe that if he had gotten lost or died in an accident, he would’ve been found by now.

For me, I’m on the fence about this. Part of me believes he would’ve been found by now if he had simply gotten lost, but the other part of me believes that he could’ve fallen into a mine shaft or drowned in the river. If his body got swept away by running water or trapped underground, it would be a lot harder to find him. Because of this, I believe that we can’t rule out the possibility of him getting lost or being the victim of an accident.

That leads us to the second theory, that Brandon was the victim of foul play. Like the previous theory, this seems plausible. It would explain why he was never located and why tracking dogs picked up his scent.

The only problem is that we don’t have enough evidence to confirm a crime happened, never mind name a person of interest. The authorities wanted to take a closer look at some nearby properties, but the owners wouldn’t allow it. As of this writing, they have not been granted access. Even if they had the opportunity, most of the evidence would’ve degraded in the years since his disappearance. They would need something big, like clothing or remains, to file charges and get them to stick. As of this writing, the authorities have not been able to investigate these properties, and any evidence they might have remains hidden.

Brandon Lawson was an intelligent, kind, and hardworking young man who was working hard to build the life he wanted. After finishing his first year of college, he spent the night hanging out with his friends, celebrating his accomplishments. But for unknown reasons, he never came home, and his family and friends still hope for answers. May he come home and get the justice he deserves.

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If you’re looking for more information about the disappearance of Brandon Lawson, there are many news articles, YouTube Videos, and podcasts that cover his case. The following sources helped me as I wrote this post:

• The Charley Project
• The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• The Crime Wire
• Trace Evidence Podcast
• Grand Forks Herald

If you have any information about the disappearance of Brandon Swanson, please contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department at 1-507-694-1664. You can also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

What do you think happened? Let me know in the comments.