MN MN - Brandon Swanson, 19, Marshall, 14 May 2008

fran

Former Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
Messages
32,578
Reaction score
190
Website
Visit site
http://kstp.com/article/stories/S445936.shtml?cat=1

Officers searching for missing Marshall teen

MARSHALL, Minn. (AP) - Law enforcement officers are searching for a 19-year-old Marshall man whose car was found abandoned in a ditch northwest of Taunton.

The Lyon County Sheriff's Office says Brandon Swanson's Chevrolet Lumina was found shortly after noon Wednesday at the Lyon-Lincoln county line in southwestern Minnesota.

Swanson's parents called the sheriff about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday to say they had gotten a cell phone call from their son, who said he had gone into a ditch.



http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/18996659.html

Cell Phone Used To Locate Teen's Car

A tri-county search is underway for a teen near the town of Taunton, Minnesota. Brandon Swanson, 19, was reported missing early Wednesday morning, and on Thursday crews narrowed their search thanks to a cell phone call.


Search teams found Brandon Swanson's car a half mile north of Minnesota Highway 68 on the border between Lincoln county and Lyon county. If Swanson had made a 911 call from the location it would have taken almost no time to find him because dispatchers and law enforcement officers would have been able to trace his location to within at least 300 feet.


http://marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/501764.html

Search for teen continues

LYON COUNTY — The search for Brandon Swanson, 19, of Marshall continued into its second day in Lyon County on Thursday. Swanson was reported missing Wednesday morning by his parents when they couldn’t find or reach him.

They contacted authorities after a cellular telephone call earlier that morning when Swanson told his parents his car went into a ditch, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department said.

It was believed he was going to Marshall from Canby, where he attends Minnesota West college, Lyon County Sheriff Joel Dahl said.

The search on Thursday focused on an area near Taunton and the Lincoln-Lyon County Line road, less than a half-mile north of the intersection with Minnesota Highway 68. The search area included land along the Yellow Medicine River.

“At this point we’re not calling it a recovery effort,” Dahl said at about 4 p.m. Thursday. The search would continue Thursday evening, he said.

Dahl did say that with friends and family looking for him, it seems unlikely Swanson could be with a friend or be unaware of the search for him.

“We just have not found him,” Dahl said.
 
Wow, that's strange. I wonder where he could be and why he called his parents instead of 911? I hope he's not wandering around in a daze somewhere, or laying seriously hurt.
 
Oh wow...I really hope he's okay. I haven't heard of this. I guess I can understand calling his parents. I think if I were to end up in a ditch at that age and wasn't hurt my first reaction would probably be to call my parents and AAA.
 
I honestly don't know what to make of the attitude of local LE here. Looks like he's a little disgusted with this whole search issue here, per his last quoted statement.:eek:

"...but as far as an organized ground search...(not doing that).”


Maybe he's got more important things to do.:rolleyes:

JMHO
fran

http://marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/501787.html

Search continues for missing teen

Search and rescue dogs moved the search for Brandon Swanson, 19, of Marshall into Lincoln County Thursday and today, Lyon County Sheriff Joel Dahl said.

The search for Swanson had focused on an area near the Yellow Medicine River at the Lincoln Lyon County line road, near Taunton on Thursday and much of Wednesday after law enforcement found Swanson’s car in a ditch in that area at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
<<<<<<<snip>>>>>>>

“As far as a ground search, I don’t know what else to do,” Dahl said. “We’ve walked it, we’ve used four-wheelers, we’ve used horses...I’m not going to discourage farmers and locals from checking their area but as far as an organized ground search...(not doing that).”
more at link
 
I don't know what to think. I would hope he didn't try to cross the river. I see that he was supposed to meet his dad (?) at a bar and grill. His last phone call to his dad was abruptly cut off. Hope he didn't meet with foul play. :(

Gosh, I hope we don't end up adding Brandon's name to the missing and drowned college students.

fran



http://marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/501806.html

Searchers, family remain hopeful

The search for Brandon Swanson, 19, of Marshall is expected to continue Saturday in Lincoln County near the border with Lyon County, Lyon County Sheriff Joel Dahl said late Friday afternoon.

Brandon Swanson has been missing since early Wednesday morning.

Dahl said he and Lincoln County Sheriff Jack Vizecky were not calling the search a recovery effort yet, although part of the search has focused on the Yellow Medicine River and water areas near it.

“By this weekend, we will probably be at that point,” Dahl said. “We can hold out hope, but he’s just not making contact...We’re actually searching the water because we are thinking he could be there.”

Brandon Swanson is a 2007 Marshall High School graduate and a student at Minnesota West in Canby.

“We’re hopeful; we’re still hopeful we’ll find him,” his father Brian Swanson said Friday morning. “There is still a chance. Maybe not a great chance, but there is still a chance.”

Dahl said the search and rescue dogs had returned to the Twin Cities Friday afternoon, and he was not sure if a boat would be used today.

The water had receded, and that would help with the search today, Dahl said.

<<more at link>>
 
What's strange is that he was driving from Canby to Marshall. It's a straight shot SE along a paved road. He said on the phone that he was actually near a town called Lyon, which is past his destination and then SW on another road. His dad said he didn't sound confused or intoxicated. Very strange.
 
Gosh! They still haven't found this young man. I just don't understand. This is starting to sound earily like another young man's case in Connecticut(?) a few months ago. He was coming back to college after a weekend away, he passed his college yet he had just talked to some fellow students saying he'd be there in a few.

The next thing you know they're fishing him out of a lake.

Are we going to have to list this young man with the 'mysterious college student drownings?'

I'm tellin' ya, this is spooky. :(

fran
 
Hard to say. I'm a huge believer in the smiley face killers or that someone is killing college students... but I can't put this case in that category quite yet. He was clearly confused about where he was - and they also found a "pipe" in his car. But at the same time, there was little damage to his car (I don't think he bumped his head) and his dad insists he sounded clear headed. They had two separate conversations - the second which lasted 45 minutes. You'd think his dad would know if there was something wrong.

So does that mean that someone grabbed him? His phone cut off mid-conversation. Did it get wet as he fell in water? Or did the battery just die? Unfortunately I do think it's likely that he'll be found in the water simply bc there is a river very near where they found his car.

I hope this was just a sad accident.
 
Still nothing. Another male Minnesota college student {vanished} into thin air.

Why?

:(
fran


http://kstp.com/article/stories/s445936.shtml?cat=1

Search continues for missing Marshall teen


MARSHALL, Minn. (AP) - Authorities in southwestern Minnesota are looking for a 19-year-old Marshall man whose car apparently went into a ditch near Taunton.

Brandon Swanson has been missing since early Wednesday, when he called his father via cell phone. Authorities say Swanson told his father he had run his car into a ditch, but that he was not hurt. His father called back, but that call ended abruptly.

Lyon County Sheriff Joel Dahl says he has no reason to think Swanson was impaired at the time of the accident.
 
"...but as far as an organized ground search...(not doing that).”

wow... I don't even know how to respond to a comment like that. I can't imagine how that made his family feel. :furious:
 
What's strange is that he was driving from Canby to Marshall. It's a straight shot SE along a paved road. He said on the phone that he was actually near a town called Lyon, which is past his destination and then SW on another road. His dad said he didn't sound confused or intoxicated. Very strange.

This reminds me of another college student they found in, I believe Vermont or Connecticut? He was returning from a weekend in NY, called his mom and dad from the airport, picked up his car and headed back to home at college. He talked to his roommates and said he'd be home shortly.

The next thing you know they're fishing his car out of a pond or something. His body was located in the water a little later. THIS was 50 miles or so past his destination.

Why?

fran
 
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=511468

Sheriff 'running out of answers' in disappearance of Marshall teen

<<snip>>

Investigators have learned Swanson was drinking earlier in the evening on the night he disappeared, but Dahl says there isn't evidence he was impaired.

Swanson's father says his son seemed fine when he called from his cell phone to tell his parents he had driven into the ditch.

Searchers are concentrating their efforts on a branch of the Yellow Medicine River near Taunton, about a quarter mile from where Swanson's car was found.

"We're looking in the water again today," said Stella Swanson, Brandon's Grandmother. "We just hope it doesn't turn out to be foul play, because it just seems like we can't find him."
 
What's strange is that he was driving from Canby to Marshall. It's a straight shot SE along a paved road. He said on the phone that he was actually near a town called Lyon, which is past his destination and then SW on another road. His dad said he didn't sound confused or intoxicated. Very strange.


He had spent earlier in the evening in Lynd. He was driving from Lynd to Canby and then was to return to Marshall. His car was located around Taunton, which is on the way from Canby to Marshall, I believe.

They were looking for him in Lincoln and Lyon counties, I think.

I don't know why he left the main road. Maybe there was a slight curve or something and he didn't realize he'd left the main road. Because, as you said, it appears it's a straight shot to his destination.

JMHO
fran
 
FWIW, LE now thinks it could be a tragic accident. He may have drowned and may not be located for quite some time. :(

fran


http://www.startribune.com/local/19211889.html

Family calls for volunteers in search for missing man

MARSHALL, Minn. - The family of a missing Marshall man is organizing another group of volunteers to continue the search for him.

Nineteen-year-old Brandon Swanson has been missing since the morning of May 14 after his car went into the ditch along the Lincoln and Lyon County line near Taunton.

The search has focused on areas near the Yellow Medicine River in parts of Lyon and Lincoln counties.

<<<<snip>>>>
 
http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/19239889.html

Volunteers Extend Search For Missing Teen

By Caitlin Haedicke

Story Created: May 24, 2008 at 9:27 PM CDT

The search for 19-year-old Brandon Swanson, of Marshall, continued Saturday without help from law enforcement. It's been ten days since Swanson went missing and authorities in southwest Minnesota say they still don't have any leads. The Lyon County Sheriff's office has ended it's search for Swanson until more evidence is found. But volunteers are helping the family keep the search going.

When the town heard law enforcement was ending their portion of the search, the Marshall paper and a few local churches put out requests for volunteers. Dozens responded and now, have kept the search going strong.

<<more at link>>
 
One more thing I just noticed in an article.

"Dahl (LE) said law enforcement expected Brandon Swanson’s cell phone to not work but when they made calls to it during the day on Wednesday and Thursday, the phone rang and eventually calls were directed to his voice mail.

Later Thursday, calls were immediately directed to Brandon Swanson’s voicemail, which likely meant the phone’s battery needed to be charged, Dahl said."

I had originally thought his phone must have cut off bc he fell into water or something... If there are cell towers nearby, I don't think it cut off due to lack of service. Strange.
 
One more thing I just noticed in an article.

"Dahl (LE) said law enforcement expected Brandon Swanson’s cell phone to not work but when they made calls to it during the day on Wednesday and Thursday, the phone rang and eventually calls were directed to his voice mail.

Later Thursday, calls were immediately directed to Brandon Swanson’s voicemail, which likely meant the phone’s battery needed to be charged, Dahl said."

I had originally thought his phone must have cut off bc he fell into water or something... If there are cell towers nearby, I don't think it cut off due to lack of service. Strange.


It's suspicious, IMO.

Hey, I just thought of something! Wonder if he could have fallen into a well or something? One he didn't notice until he fell in.

Hmmmmm...........

JMHO
fran
 
This young man drove into a ditch and now they are looking for him in a river. Why? Is it not more realistic that he got a ride with someone and he is has been taken from the area?

Salem
 
I have been asked by the Search Manager Gary Peterson to let everyone know that there is a Massive Volunteer Search this weekend June 7 & 8 (saturday & Sunday), 2008 for Brandon Swanson.

Volunteers should wear long pants and long sleeves and bring bug spray and sunscreen. Need proper footwear. They should be ready to work in different terrains.

Volunteers should meet at 9 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the West End Bar in Taunton.
Searches will contain Ultra light Air Craft from Winona, MN

There is also a fund set up for the Swanson's
Donation's can be mailed to:
Bank of the West (in Marshall MN,)
P.o. Box 519
1410 E. College Dr.
Marshall, MN 56258


brandonswanson.JPG
 

Staff online

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
229
Guests online
1,284
Total visitors
1,513

Forum statistics

Threads
589,168
Messages
17,914,869
Members
227,741
Latest member
Drury Lane
Back
Top