May 19, 2025

Terrifying & True | The Vanishing of Brandon Swanson – Disappearance on a Dark Minnesota Road

Terrifying & True | The Vanishing of Brandon Swanson – Disappearance on a Dark Minnesota Road
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In 2008, college student Brandon Swanson vanished while talking to his father on the phone. Despite a 47-minute call, a massive search, and a law passed in his name, Brandon was never found. What really happened that night on a dark Minnesota road?

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🎵 Music by Ray Mattis
Check out Ray’s work here!

👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Mark Shields, Bobbletopia.com

🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder

For everything else check out WeeklySpooky.com


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🎵 Music by Ray Mattis 👉 Check out Ray’s incredible work here !
👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
WEBVTT

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In two thousand and eight, nineteen year old Brandon Swansea

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vanished during a late night phone call with his father,

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one final phrase, oh shit, and then silence. No body,

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no answers, Just a mystery that has haunted Minnesota for

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over a decade. What you were about to beat you?

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He spurt TONI based on witness accounts, testimonies, and public record,

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this is terrifying and treat Marshall, Minnesota, a quiet, rural

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town nestled in the heart of America's Midwest. On the

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night of May fourteenth, two thousand and eight, nineteen year

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old Brandon Swanson vanished without a trace after his car

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slid into a ditch on a dark country road. Calm

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and composed, Brandon called his parents for help. He described

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his surroundings, reassured them he was okay, and began walking

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toward what he believed was the nearby town of Lynde. Then,

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forty seven minutes into the call, he suddenly said, oh shit,

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and the line went dead and he was never heard

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from again. So make sure you're subscribed as we tell

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that story after this. In the early hours of May fourteenth,

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two thousand and eight, beneath the wide silent skies of

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rural Minnesota, a young college student vanished without a trace.

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Brandon Swanson had been driving home after celebrating the end

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of spring semester when his car veered into a ditch

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on a dark gravel road. Stranded but seemingly unharmed, he

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called his parents for help, speaking calmly describing his surroundings

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and assuring them he would walk toward a nearby town

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to meet them. Then, in the middle of the conversation,

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Brandon suddenly uttered, oh shit. The line went silent. Despite

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extensive searches, tracking dogs, dive teams, and helicopters, no sign

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of Brandon was ever found. His car was intact, his

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phone kept ringing, and yet he was simply gone. The

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haunting uncertainty of that night has tormented his family and

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baffled investigators for over a decade. Was it a tragic

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accident or did something more sinister unfold in the darkness.

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As the mystery endures, so do the questions. How can

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someone disappear while on the phone with their father? And

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how can so little evidence remain after so much time.

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Brandon Swanson was born on January thirtieth, nineteen eighty nine,

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in Marshall, Minnesota, to his parents, Brian and Annette Swanson.

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He was described as a loving son deeply cherished by

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his family. Native of Marshall, located in Lyon County in

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the southwestern region of Minnesota, Brandon grew up in a

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supportive environment and built strong ties with his community. In

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two thousand and seven, Brandon graduated from Marshall High School,

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marking a key milestone in his young life. With a

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growing interest in renewable energy, he made the decision to

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further his education by enrolling at Minnesota West Community and

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Technical College. He chose the Canby Campus, where he began

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studying wind turbines, a field that aligned with his academic

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and professional goals. Brandon completed his second semester of the

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wind energy program in May of two thousand eight. On

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May thirteenth, the academic year officially ended and the students

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began celebrating the end of the semester. Brandon stayed in

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can Be that evening to spend time with his friends.

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The mood was festive, and although alcohol was present at

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the gatherings, witnesses noted that Brandon had consumed some, but

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not to the point of appearing visibly intoxicated. Earlier that evening,

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Brandon first visited a gathering in Lynde, a town located

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about seven miles southwest of Marshall. After spending time there,

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he traveled to Canby, roughly thirty five miles northwest of

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his home town, to join his classmates and continue the celebration.

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The night progressed without any known incidents, and by all accounts,

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things appeared to be completely normal. However, the following day,

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May fourteenth, two thousand eight, events took a tragic and unexpurn.

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As Brandon made his way back home. Something happened that

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would leave his loved ones and the entire community searching

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for answers. His journey that night marked the beginning of

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a puzzling and heartbreaking disappearance that remains to this day unresolved.

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The joy of academic achievement and celebration quickly shifted into

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confusion and concern as Brandon's safe return never came. What

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should have been a simple drive home turned into a

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mystery that would haunt those who knew him. His absence

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sparked a lengthy investigation and left many wondering what could

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have possibly gone wrong during those early hours of May fourteen.

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In those early morning hours, Brandon Swanson decided it was

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time to return home. It was some time around one

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am when he left Canby, Minnesota, where he had spent

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the evening with his friends. His destination was Marshall, where

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he lived with his parents, Brian and Annette. The drive

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was approximately thirty miles and took him along rural roads

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in southwestern Minnesota. Though it was late, Brandon appeared to

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be in full control of his actions and determined to

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get home safely. As he made his way along the

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gravel roads, sometime just before two am, Brandon's car went

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off the road and became stuck in a ditch. Rather

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than panicking, he reacted calmly and rationally. He picked up

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his phone and contacted his parents to explain the situation

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and told them that his Chevrolet Lumina had gone off

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the road and that he was unable to drive it

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out of the ditch. He emphasized that he was not

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injured and simply needed them to come and pick him up.

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Brian and Annette Swanson immediately got into their pickup truck

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and set out to find him. Throughout their drive, they

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stayed connected to their son by phone. Although the call

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occasionally dropped do to poor reception, they managed to keep

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in contact. Brandon remained near his car and tried to

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help guide them by flashing his headlights on and off.

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His parents attempted to do the same, hoping he would

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see their vehicle approaching. Despite their combined efforts, neither could

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see the other's lights, and it became clear that they

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were not in the same location. Realizing that his parents

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were up unable to find him where he believed he was,

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Brandon made the decision to leave his vehicle and walked

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towards some lights he could see in the distance. He

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believed those lights were coming from the small town of Lynde,

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located approximately seven miles southwest of Marshall. Thinking he was

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close to Lynde, Brandon advised his father to meet him

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in the parking lot of a local bar there. As

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Brian began heading in that direction, he remained on the

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phone with his son, offering support and staying close through

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the conversation. The call continued for forty seven minutes as

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Brandon walked and his father drove. Then, at around two

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thirty a m. The tone of the call shifted dramatically.

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In the middle of their conversation, Brandon suddenly exclaimed, oh shit.

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The words came out of nowhere and were followed immediately

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by complete silence. There were no further sounds, no signs

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of distress, and no background noise. His parents remained on

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the line, hoping to hear more, but Brandon never spoke

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another word. Deeply alarmed, Brian and Annette tried to call

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their son back multiple times, but he never answered that

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brief moment of panic. The final words he uttered would

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be the last time anyone heard from Brandon Swanson. His

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sudden silence marked the beginning of a disappearance that would

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puzzle everyone who dared to take a look. By the

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early morning of May fourteenth, concern had turned into alarm

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for Brian and Annette Swanson. After failing to reach their

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son following his abrupt silence during their phone call, they

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reported Brandon missing to the Lynde Police department at around

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six thirty a m. However, their worries were initially brushed aside.

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Officers told them that it was not uncommon for young

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adults to stay out late, especially after finishing college classes.

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Annette Swanson remembered a specific comment from one of the officers,

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who stated it was Brandon's right to be missing, a

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response that offered little comfort to the distressed parents. Later

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that same morning, the lind police did initiate a search,

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checking within the town and its outskirts, but they came

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up empty handed. As no clue's surface, they reached out

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to Lyon County Sheriff Joel Dall for additional support. Hoping

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for a more precise lead, investigators obtained Brandon's cell phone

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records to try to identify where he had last used

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his phone. To everyone's surprise, the phone data revealed that

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Brandon had not been anywhere near Lynde, where he believed

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he was when speaking to his father. Instead, his call

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had originated from an area near Taunton, a town located

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northwest of Marshall along State Highway sixty eight. This revelation

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changed the direction of the search entirely and redirected efforts

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roughly twenty five miles away from where they had originally

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been looking. As authorities combed through the area near Taunton,

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they eventually found Brandon's car. The Chevrolet Lumina, was discovered

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off a gravel road near the Lincoln County line, just

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north of Highway sixty eight. At that point, Lincoln County

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Sheriff Jack Vizeki became involved in the investigation. He reported

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that the vehicle had gotten stuck on a slight rise

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in the terrain. Though the situation had immobilized the car,

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there was no visible damage to it. There were also

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no clear signs indicating where Brandon might have gone after

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abandoning the vehicle. The gravel surface and tall grass around

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the car did not preserve any footprints or tire marks.

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This left investigators with no physical evidence of which direction

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Brandon may have taken, adding to the complexity of the

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case and deepening the mystery. Further examination of cell tower

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data showed that Brandon's phone had connected to a tower

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near the intersection of County Roads three and ten, close

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to the town of Minneota. By May fifteen, officials had

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narrowed down the phone's location to within a five mile

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radius of that tower. The search was then focused on

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this new area, which extended into Yellow Medicine County. As

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a result, law enforcement from that county also joined the investigation,

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further broadening the scope of the search In hopes of

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finding the missing young man. Sheriff Joel Dall pointed out

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a critical detail about the landscape from the area where

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Brandon's car was found. A red light atop a grain

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elevator in Taunton was clearly visible. It was speculated that

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this distant red light might have been what Brandon mistook

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for the lights of Lynde, leading him to believe he

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was walking in the right direction. With this theory in mind,

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search teams concentrated their efforts near the Yellow Medicine River,

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which lay within the same vicinity as the final signal

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from Brandon's phone. The river became a primary focus for

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investigators given its proximity and the possibility that Brandon might

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have tried to cross it or accidentally fallen in. Search

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crews carefully scanned the riverbanks, but nothing was found to

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indicate he had entered the water. The river, though active,

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was not especially deep at the time, and there were

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no traces, no items of clothing, no cell phone, and

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most notably, no footprints leading to or from the river's edge.

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Cadaver dogs were brought to the scene in hopes of

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detecting human remains. At one point, the dogs seemed to

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pick up a cent trail that led toward the river,

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raising hopes that this clue might lead to answers. However,

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despite their efforts, no body was discovered. Dive teams explored

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the water thoroughly, and helicopters flew overhead to cover large

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portions of surrounding land. Each effort was met with the

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same result, no evidence of Brandon's whereabouts. As the days passed,

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the absence of any physical evidence became even more disturbing.

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His family, especially Brian and Annette Swans, continued to plead

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for answers, pushing for expanded search efforts and refusing to

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give up hope. Their son had simply vanished, and the

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lack of closure was taking an emotional toll. What made

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the situation even more baffling was the bizarre nature of

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Brandon's final phone call. He had been an active conversation

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with his father for nearly forty seven minutes, guiding him

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toward what he believed was his location. When he made

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that sudden exclamation of oh shit, the call went completely

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silent and nothing more, no screams, no cries for help,

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and no further words. It was as if he had

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just vanished in an instant This lingering question haunted everyone involved.

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If Brandon had fallen or encountered danger, why didn't he

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say anything more? He had his phone in his hand,

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he was in contact with someone who could have helped.

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The abrupt end to the call and total silence that

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followed only deepened the mystery. Something did not add up,

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and the answers remained just out of reach. In twenty ten,

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the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assumed control of the

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case as the lead investigative agency. A dedicated tip line

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was established, and by twenty fifteen, a total of ninety

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tips had been submitted by individuals hoping to aid the investigation.

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As searches resumed over time, the focus shifted northward toward

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Mud Creek, a tributary of the Yellow Medicine River situated

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to the north and northwest of the small town of Porter.

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This new search area was informed in part by canine units,

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which had tracked a scent trail believed to be Brandon's.

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One of the dogs had initially followed a trail to

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the Yellow Medicine River, yet continued across the water and

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along the opposite bank before reaching a gravel road that

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led further north, eventually stopping at the Yellow Medicine County line.

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Because of this, Annette Swanson never fully accepted the idea

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that her son had drowned. As she explained, quote, there

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really is nothing to indicate that he's in the river.

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Her husband, Brian, also stood by the belief that Brandon

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was thinking clearly that night. Though his son had consumed

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alcohol earlier in the evening, Brian and insisted there was

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no sign of disorientation during their nearly hour long phone call.

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There were alternative theories, though none offered concrete answers. While

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technically possible that Brandon may have chosen to vanish intentionally,

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his parents found the notion completely out of character for

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their son. On the other hand, foul play could not

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be dismissed despite the absence of any direct evidence pointing

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to it. Sheriff Jack Vizzeki admitted that it was plausible

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someone might have been nearby, hidden from view and took

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Brandon without a trace. With no resolution in sight, Brandon's

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parents committed themselves to searching year after year, revisiting the

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terrain and holding on to the hope that one day

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they might uncover the truth. Their grief. However, evolved into advocacy.

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The Swanson family began lobbying for legislative changes aiming to

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improve the way authorities respond to missing adult cases. Annette

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Swanson met with Marty Seyffert, who was then the minority

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leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives and represented the

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Marshall area. During their meeting at a local restaurant, Annette

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recounted her frustrations over the initial handling of Brandon's case.

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While she knew it would not change what happened to

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her son, she believed it could spare future families from

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similar pain. Seafort responded by introducing a piece of legislation

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known as Brandon's Law. The bill sought to amend the

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existing Missing Child Program Statute by replacing the word child

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with person, thereby extending immediate response protocols to adults as well.

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This legislative effort was a direct result of the Swanson

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family's relentless pursuit of reform, hoping that no other family

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would have to endure the same lack of urgency and

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support in their time of crisis. Yet, for all the

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progress and awareness they helped bring about, the Swansons continued

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to carry the heaviest burden the unknown. If Brandon truly

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lost his life that night, why has no evidence of

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his remains ever surfaced, and if he survived, where did

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he go and why? His case remains a haunting mystery,

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one that offers no clear conclusion. A capable, coherent young

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man was actively speaking with his father, navigating his surroundings,

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and then, without warning, vanished. No clues, no justice, just

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the enduring silence that follows someone who seemingly disappeared into

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thin air. In the end, Brandon Swanson's disappearance remains one

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of Minnesota's most haunting mysteries. Despite tireless searches, passionate advocacy,

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and the passage of years, the truth of what happened

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that night continues to elude everyone who loved him. The

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uncertainty has left deep scars, not only on his family,

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who still returned to the place he was last heard,

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but on a community forced to live with questions that

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simply have no answers. Each lead that fades, every search

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that comes up empty, deepens the silence surrounding his case.

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And as laws were changed in his name, offering hope

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for others, Brandon's own fate remains painfully unknown, leaving the

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world to wonder, how can someone vanish so completely? And

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will the truth ever come to light? Terrifying and True

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is narrated by Enrique Kuto. It's executive produced by Rob Fields,

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Markshields and Bobotopia dot com and produced by Dan Wilder,

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with original theme music by Ray Mattis. If you have

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a story you think we should cover on Terrifying and True,

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On Terrifying and True.