Brandon Swanson, Missing, May 14, 2008 MN
Tri-County Search For Teen 19-year-old Brandon Swanson. By Drew Sandholm Story Created: May 15, 2008 at 9:51 PM CDT Story Updated: May 15, 2008 at 10:14 PM CDT A tri-county search is underway for a missing Minnesota teen. 19-year-old Brandon Swanson was reported missing early Wednesday morning. Right now, crews are focusing on an area near the town of Taunton, MN, where searchers found Swanson's car Wednesday. They were able to find it by tracing his last cell phone message. What makes this search unique is its location -- Yellow Medicine, Lyon, and Lincoln Counties essentially border each other. Consequently, several different law enforcement agencies are working together to find Swanson. They marched on foot, soared through the sky, and rode on four wheels. More than 75 people searched for the Marshall teen after he had reportedly drove his car into a ditch. Searchers brought out dogs and trolled in boats, but haven't had any luck. The Yellow Medicine River is so high and moving so fast it's making it difficult for them to do their search. Still, no one is giving up here. Speaking on behalf of the Swanson family, Laurar Hundley made a plea. She said, "The family misses him very much. If anyone has any information please contact the Lyon County Sheriff." If you have information on Swanson's whereabouts, call the Lyon County Sheriff at (507) 537-7666. KSFY's Drew Sandholm can be reached at (605) 373-7372. http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/18995564.html

Authorities search for missing Marshall teen ASSOCIATED PRESS, Worthington Daily Globe Published Sunday, May 18, 2008 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. Dahl says they're not calling the search a recovery effort yet, although part of the search has focused on the Yellow Medicine River and waters nearby. The waters are 10 feet deep in places. But the sheriff says the water has been receding, and that should help in the search Saturday. If you have information on Swanson's whereabouts, call the Lyon County Sheriff at (507) 537-7666. http://www.dglobe.com/articles/index.cfm?id=11708&section=News

Marshall Teen Missing For Nearly A Week 05/19/2008 5:54 PM A Marshall teen vanished nearly a week ago. It's a bizarre missing person case that has two counties searching from the ground, water and now the air. Nineteen-year-old Brandon Swanson's parents last heard from him Tuesday night. He called them from his cell phone, told them his car was in the ditch and he was walking along a fence line. But his car wasn't where he told them it was, and no one has seen him since. Lyon County Sheriff Joel Dahl still has more questions than answers. "I often ask if we're still searching or if we're in a recovery? And we are still searching," he says. Still searching for 19-year-old missing person, Brandon Swanson. "We don't believe this is a case where he ran away," Dahl says. He didn't likely run away. He seemingly disappeared. The mystery began at 2-am Wednesday morning when Swanson called his parents and told them he drove in the in the ditch near Lynd, just a couple miles south of Marshall. His car was stuck and he needed help. "They searched this area, law enforcement searched this area, and once we were able to trace his cell phone calls..." It turns out the calls were made nowhere close to Lynd. Searchers found Swanson's car in a ditch near Taunton. That's northwest of Marshall off a highway Swanson traveled all the time. "He was on the phone with his parents for one time at 45 minutes, explaining to them he was walking," Dahl says. The best the searchers can do is assume Swanson was walking toward Taunton. So they're searching all nearby streams. "We've done ground searches, walkers, atvs, horseback, airplanes, today we have the state helicopter up," Dahl says. Still, 6 days later, no trace of Swanson can be found. "I wish we could do more. I wish we could give them answers. But I just don't know." The 19-year-old man has seemingly vanished. Sheriff Dahl says he's received second-hand and third-hand information that Brandon Swanson was drinking Tuesday night, which could explain why he was confused about where he was. But Dahl says he can't be sure of that. Monday's search from the air did not turn up anything new. He was wearing jeans a dress shirt with a black hooded sweatshirt over it. Anyone who may have seen him or has information should call the Lyon County Sheriff at (507) 537-7666. http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,69685

Missing Man-Marshall The family of a Marshall man who went missing in western Minnesota nearly three weeks ago is calling for volunteers for another search. Gary Peterson is working with the family to coordinate the search for 19-year-old Brandon Swanson this weekend. Peterson has experience searching for missing people. 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. Previous searches have focused on areas near the Yellow Medicine River. Peterson says he intends to focus to an area to the south and east of where Swanson's car was found. He's hoping for at least 1000 volunteers to help. If you would like to volunteer on Saturday Volunteers who want to participate Saturday should go to the first intersection past the intersection of Highway 68 and the Lyon-Lincoln County line. Take a right off Highway 68 and travel about one-and-a-half miles on a gravel road and the farm site will be on the left with a long driveway. http://ksax.com/article/stories/S464488.shtml?cat=10230

100 People Search for Missing Man Posted at: 06/08/2008 07:30:29 PM TAUNTON, Minn. (AP) - Another weekend search and still no sign of a 19-year-old Marshall man. About 100 searchers gathered in Taunton over the weekend to look for Brandon Swanson. Authorities say he was last heard from in a cell phone call to his parents on May 14. His car was found in a ditch near Taunton. Private investigator and search organizer Gary Peterson says this weekend's search focused on an area previously scoured by volunteers and law enforcement. The search included cadaver dogs, people on horseback and all-terrain vehicles, searchers on foot, a special horse group, and a parachute, or special aviation vehicles, that can travel close to the ground. Volunteers included a former dive official in Winona County, a volunteer firefighter from Arco, members of the Jon Francis Foundation from Stillwater, and members of the nonprofit Minnesota Search and Rescue and Recovery unit. http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S470585.shtml?cat=10217

Search For Brandon Swanson Resumes This Weekend By Leslie Rupiper Story Created: Mar 19, 2009 at 8:50 PM CDT Story Updated: Mar 19, 2009 at 10:52 PM CDT 19 year old Brandon Swanson went missing near Taunton, Minnesota last May. Despite exhaustive efforts, Brandon hasn't been found. But this weekend, the search for him will resume, with a new person in charge. Brandon Swanson's car went into a ditch near Taunton, Minnesota in May of 2008. Search crews on foot, in the water, and with dogs at their sides, have been unable to find Brandon. One searcher even used steel rods that pick up bio-magnetic attraction. But still, no sign of the missing teen. Last year Brandon's father, Brian, said, "It's the desire to find him. Closure. We need closure, and until we find him we won't have that." No looking could be done in the winter. But now, 10 months after Brandon disappeared, his family is resuming the search. Jeff Hasse, the Vice President of Search, Rescue and Recovery Resources of Minnesota, is the new search manager. Brandon's father says Hasse has at least 15 years of experience in the search, rescue and recovery field. Tomorrow, Hasse will lead an informational meeting in Marshall outlining the new search effort that will begin this weekend. We know that search will involve Civil Air Patrol ground search training on Saturday, and a search on Sunday. Several dog teams will also be deployed. It's a fresh effort to bring peace to a family who's been hurting for nearly a year. That informational meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, March 20th at the Wesley United Methodist Church at 202 North 4th Street in Marshall. http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/41541772.html

Bill Would Require Search For Some Missing Adults It took a year after he went missing in the Idaho mountains for Jon Francis' family to find his body. The family searched on their own, after law enforcement told them it was hopeless. "He came to us and he said, 'David and Linda, you need to give your son up to the mountain,'" David Francis said. "They packed up and left, so the burden of finding our son fell on the family." That's why David Francis formed the Jon Francis Foundation, which is trying to change Minnesota law to force a search for some missing children under 21. "'Ma'am, your son has a right to be missing,'" recalled Annette Swanson, of Marshall, Minn. Her son, Brandon Swanson, 19, went missing in southwestern Minnesota last May, after calling his parents for help. Local police told his mother there was nothing they could do. "Brandon is not choosing to be missing," Annette Swanson said. "Our reality is that Brandon is missing and he is presumed dead." A bill in the state legislature would require law enforcement to search for young adults, for the following reasons, which are not limited to if the disappearance is not voluntary, if there's evidence of a medical condition or if the person is lost in the wilderness. David Francis calls it the "take no excuses" law. "Missing persons are missing persons. Missing adult children are still children," he said. Minnesota lawmakers expect to vote on the missing adult children bill after this week's holiday break. http://wcco.com/local/missing.adult.children.2.978267.html

Swanson family wants rumors squashed By Rae Kruger POSTED: May 7, 2009 At the same time Brian and Annette Swanson heard Gov. Tim Pawlenty would sign Brandon's Law officially as a law today, they were also dealing with a rumor that sickened them. Annette Swanson cried Wednesday as she said her family was still dealing with the rumor her son Brandon's body had been found in a field near Taunton or St. Leo. "It just sucks," she said. The family was in Mankato on Wednesday to celebrate Annette's birthday and to get away. The persistent rumor, which appears to have started Tuesday, followed them on Wednesday. "My family is struggling with this," Swanson said. She and her husband were getting communications about the rumor, as was their daughter Jamine. "Jamine is getting text messages saying, 'This is what we heard,'" Swanson said. "It's not just me dealing with it, it's our whole family." The Independent as well as at least one other medium heard the rumor Tuesday. The Independent called the sheriff's departments in Lincoln and Lyon counties and was told the same thing: Swanson had not been found. Swanson believed the rumor would disappear once the public knew there were no news reports on finding her son. It didn't. "This is just painful. We need to squash this thing," Swanson said. Brandon Swanson has been missing since May 14, 2008, after a cell phone conversation with his parents ended abruptly. His car was found in a ditch near Taunton along the border road of Lincoln and Lyon counties near the Yellow Medicine River. Multiple searches have not resulted in any of Swanson's clothes or other evidence, although search dogs have shown interest in several areas. Swanson has been in the news recently because his parents have been working on a law that would allow a more aggressive response from law enforcement when young adults up to 21 are reported missing or when older adults are reported missing in dangerous circumstances. The law was supported by the parents of Dan Zamlen, whose body was found in the Mississippi River in St. Paul last week. Zamlen, a college student, was reported missing in April and his parents shared with the media their frustration with the response from law enforcement. Swanson said the media coverage of Brandon's Law, the discovery of Zamlen's body and the upcoming one-year anniversary of her son's disappearance may have caused the rumor, but the details of the rumor make her also believe differently. The rumor includes a body found by a farmer near St. Leo or Taunton. "I just wish people would realize what this puts a family through," Swanson said. "It just spread like wildfire." http://www.marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/509568.html

Adults added to missing children's law Gov. Pawlenty signed 'Brandon's Law,' which is meant to expedite response when loved ones of any age disappear. By BOB VON STERNBERG, Star Tribune 5/8/09 Gov. Tim Pawlenty held a ceremonial bill-signing Thursday of "Brandon's Law," which expands the state's missing children's law to include adults who are missing and potentially endangered. The law is named for Brandon Swanson, 19, who has been missing since last May, when his car went into a ditch in southwestern Minnesota. "We're here to lend our voice to recommit Minnesota, and, I hope, others around the country, that will respond as robustly as possible when people are missing," Pawlenty said. Swanson's parents, Brian and Annette, began pushing for a change in the law after frustrating encounters with law enforcement officials, who explained to them that adults generally have a right to be missing. "But don't tell me that without finding out the circumstances first," Annette Swanson said in the midst of lobbying for the law this spring. "This is a bittersweet moment for us," she said Thursday. "I would never want to be here ... but I want to make a difference for other people." The law, which takes effect July 1, was sponsored by House Minority Leader Marty Seifert and requires authorities to take missing persons reports "without delay" and conduct preliminary investigations to see if fears appear founded. The law would accelerate law enforcement's response if a missing person is considered "endangered." That includes situations in which the missing person needs medical attention, when the disappearance clearly wasn't voluntary or occurred in dangerous circumstances. "No family should have to endure the additional heartache ... of a slow or inadequate response," Pawlenty said. Minnesota is following the lead of other states that already have bolstered their laws to find missing senior citizens and young adults. The Swansons, their daughter, Jamine, and Seifert attended the signing ceremony. Also attending were David and Linda Francis and their two daughters. Their son, Jon, a 24-year-old from Stillwater, disappeared on July 15, 2006, while hiking in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains. His remains were found more than a year later. http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/44526662.html