I’m new to following Brandon's case, but after reading through the facts, I had a theory I wanted to put out there for discussion.
Could it be possible that Brandon was unknowingly drugged at one of the parties he attended that night?
From what’s reported, he didn’t seem heavily intoxicated when he left the party — witnesses said he seemed fine — and he was coherent at the start of his phone call with his parents. But as time went on, he became more confused about his location, which seems odd for someone familiar with the area.
Certain substances can take longer to fully kick in, especially if someone is moving around a lot (like walking through fields or rough terrain). That might explain why Brandon seemed alright when leaving, but then deteriorated mentally as the night went on.
It also made me wonder if the sudden “Oh shit!” he said on the call could have been the moment the effects of a drug really hit hard, or possibly when he realized he was in danger.
I’m curious if anyone knows whether his parents described his behavior on the call as getting more frantic toward the end, or if it stayed mostly steady until the call dropped?
Just wanted to throw this theory out there and hear your thoughts.
I think that is a plausible theory.
I'm surprised we haven't heard more from the parents. The latest news article I can find is from 2013. Maybe it's just too painful for them.
Yeah it is very hard too imagine what they must be going through. Would really be nice to just give them closure. It's understandable why they think it'll be less painful to forget. Also thanks for taking timeout to read and give feedback.
I appreciate reading about a theory other than he just died of exposure and hasn't been found yet. While that certainly is possible in his case, I do find it a bit odd that he's listed on vicap. It makes me think the police might believe there was some foul play involved.
On the other hand, it is sort of unusual that there's just been nothing else that's come out about his case in nearly 20 years.
Hello, could you please send me the 2013 article?
https://www.twincities.com/2013/05/12/five-years-after-brandon-swansons-disappearance-the-porch-lights-still-on/
Thank you so much, also I noticed that the website said the last official search was held in 2011, forgive me if I’m slow but does this mean that investigators stopped searching completely and no longer looked into the case unless they received an actual good tip? Is his case cold
It seems like it. 😔
Civilian and non-official searches have continued since 2011. Here are a few of the most recent articles I've found.
January 30, 2023:
https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/the-vault/rural-roads-of-minnesota-remain-last-known-location-of-19-year-old-brandon-swanson-1
May 3, 2021:
https://kstp.com/5-investigates/missing-minnesotans-brandon-swanson/
May 14, 2018:
https://www.marshallindependent.com/news/local-news/2018/05/swanson-case-still-unsolved/
The article from 2021 which Annette says - “I couldn’t breathe, I was nauseous, and I think that was just my motherly instincts telling me he’s gone," said Annette Swanson” is heartbreaking. Nothing hurts more than hearing a mother swallow the hard truth.
That’s pretty much it… Citing the emotional toll of their son’s disappearance — and the accompanying difficulty of the holiday season — Brian Swanson and Annette Swanson chose not to comment for this story. Brian Swanson did indicate that 14 years after the disappearance of their son, the pain still remains.
Source: Rural roads of Minnesota remain last known location of 19-year-old Brandon Swanson - first published in 2021.
His mother is quoted in this article which is more recent - originally published in 2017.
https://kstp.com/5-investigates/missing-minnesotans-brandon-swanson/
It is definitely possible, but personally I think it’s unlikely. Most drugs like stimulants or opiates (cocaine, meth, heroin, etc.) affect a person almost instantly or within a few minutes. Other drugs that take a longer time to kick in, like psychedelics or disassociates, take about an hour before you feel the affects. In that case the drugs would have kicked in before he even called his parents and so they more than likely would have notice his behavior. His parents talked to him for like 45 minutes on the phone, and if you were dosed unknowingly and all the sudden started feeling strange, you would definitely bring that up. I just think it would be a hard thing to try to hide or conceal.
Now let’s say maybe he wasnt drugged unknowingly but instead he willingly took other drugs on his own accord; I still think that is unlikely. My reason for that is because if he went to a party and a bunch of people decided to take some mushrooms or drop acid—then he more than likely would have stayed at the party with the others tripping out. I don’t think he would have taken the drugs and then tried to make it home before they kicked in… especially because who would want to trip out all by yourself at home with your parents? I think even if he thought driving home before he felt the affects, that whoever was there and gave it to him would be responsible enough to tell him no you can’t drive. It seems more likely that the reason he was confused about his location isn’t because he was intoxicated but because all the gravel roads around here look the exact same—ESPECIALLY at night. And unless you regularly travel them and are very familiar with the route your on, it’s VERY easy to mistake one road for another. Seriously, I take gravel roads all the time when I’m just cruising around and there’s not very many landmarks or changes to the scenery. Even the farm houses all look similar, and most of the houses are covered by tree groves and then miles and miles of open field and pastures.
I think it’s hard for people who aren’t from this area to understand why he took the gravel roads in the first place, and how he could have been so confused on the location. As a life long resident of Marshall, MN I can say from experience that taking the backroads is a very common thing. I am personally familiar with a lot of the gravel roads and different routes and yet I have gotten “lost” before or at least thought I was on a different road than I was actually on. Considering his eyesight wasn’t the best (and he left his glasses in the car) it’s not unreasonable that he mistook the location he was in because of poor judgement and not from being intoxicated.
This is an interesting possibility. It seems that we don’t know a lot about his friends. In other missing persons cases, close friends are usually vocal. Maybe they were more outspoken in the local media. It just feels like there is a lot less public information about Brandon’s disappearance.
Very solid point, one that makes sense. Usually in cases the voices of family and close friends are the first thing you see. Quietness could be hiding something but there's also possibility they might just believe it's too late and he's most likely passed on and just want to move on and get some peace. But it's frustrating to now know the answers.
I think it's possible, and maybe the effects caused him to either slip into the river and drown or fall into a farmers well (my theory). That well theory is a whole other thing that needs its own conversation because the farmer does not give authorities permission to search the property, which is extremely strange to me.
Funny, I just found out about this case and reading about his driving and where he chose to go, the first thing that came to mind was, “Was his drink spiked?”
I know this is late, but I think that most likely didn’t happen.
He got lost and people get confused. he knew this route and yet it is still possible to get lost. I’m his age and I got lost driving home from atl in 2007. Remember, this was before iPhones. I didn’t have directions on my phone. Went off the wrong exit in atl and couldn’t even find my way back to the highway and I had to stop at a very shady gas station to ask directions and they weren’t THAT much help. I was further than I thought. So it’s definitely possible.
He just forgot his glasses. I don’t know why people think too much into this.
He saw light and went through an unknown field to get to a populated street. Makes sense. Although not bright, I might have done this back then.
He was drinking a little and not drunk and only fell into the ditch because it was pitch black outside, no lights, and he had a hard time seeing. Especially in an unfamiliar area that he mistakenly thought he knew. He was on the phone for 47 min and they’d be able to tell if he was drunk. I also do think it was stupid to hang up the phone, but you can’t turn back time now.
With the scent and the triangulation of his phone. His phone should have been found.
I think he walked onto someone’s land and either got hurt and died and ran over and the farmer didn’t want to get in trouble and panicked and dug a whole and buried the body. Or he died from hypothermia after falling into the water and that’s where he lost his phone. He kept walking without it but was wet and cold since it was below 40 degrees outside. When hypothermia sets in, you get really confused, you lose coordination, you get tired, then you pass out before you die. Where he crossed the river, it’s highly vegetated and with steeps. Could have fallen and gotten hurt too. And it’s in the middle of nowhere so he wound up somewhere they didn’t search and perished. He was EXTREMELY tiny at only 120 and 5’6. Or he was straight murdered by one of the farmers and it was covered up. I really believe these are the only possibilities.
It could have happened! My hubby (when he was younger) left a friend’s house down the road from his! The friend’s evil wife gave him something because he passed out going 2 blocks home!
Many people in the community have said that he was voluntarily doing drugs and drinking. He was sleeping with his drug dealers gf behind his back and it wasn’t just some kid selling drugs it was a bad dude. That the drug dealer killed him. And disposed of the body across different states and even in pig pens… these are the stories I’ve heard numerous times from different people.
smells like the Joshua Guimond case -- I suspect monks had something to do with it